Feral Eyes
by Aefrae
Summary: AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.
1. Prologue

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Prologue: The Legend of Clow Reed**

Long ago, in the ancient kingdom of Tomoeda, there lived a powerful sorcerer named Clow Reed. However, the land was ravaged by war. After 30 years of fighting, Clow agreed to the King's request and used his magic to stop the fighting. Such power does not come without cost. Even great magicians are only mortal in the end. In one great burst of magical energy, Clow ended the war and his life.

In the aftermath of the battle, the King of Tomoeda discovered a letter in his chamber. It bore no seal, but he knew who had written it even so. Without hesitation, he opened it and read:

"Many years from now, this land will be again be in peril. When that time comes, one who is worthy will come forward. They shall inherit my power and with it, print peace to the land as I have this day. Only one who is worthy may travel to the shrines of Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Sun, and Moon. Only then will they be strong enough to bear this burden and prevent the disaster.

You must pass these words on to your children, and your children's children, for it is their fate of which I speak. Tell them, so that when the time comes, Tomoeda may remain the peaceful land that I wished for."

Many generations later, Clow's final words had become legend - mere folklore. Most forgot of course, some believed it was only a bedtime story meant for children, and only a handful remembered the truth. A young man from one such family trailed across the countryside with Clow's ancient message in mind. His thick brown mop of hair rustled gently as he ambled through the rocky pass and into Wind Valley. As he crested the last craggy hill, he took a painted wooden board from his pack and held it in front of him. Words passed his lips in a low whisper while the air sizzled with invisible sparks.

"Almost there." he breathed, lowering the board. This was turning out to be an easy journey. Why the elders wouldn't let him set out until his sixteenth birthday was beyond him. But, the timing had to be right, that was important - at least that's what his mother had said. He continued into the a meadow of tall grass, pushing his way through until he came to a cluster of trees. And then, the goal was in sight. The Wind Cave.

"Hmph." It looked like others had beat him here. Amateurs, he was sure, but judging by the amount of footprints and gear laying around, there were at least five of them. Taking a quick glance, the boy made sure he wouldn't be seen. Then, he produced a bit of paper from his pocket and chanted softly. Once again, the air hummed. In seconds, the boy had vanished completely. He made an invisible smirk. His technique was perfect. Satisfied and a bit proud of himself, the boy continued into the cave. It wasn't hard to sneak past the few busied men and women in the cave. They were far too preoccupied with their own tasks to notice the concealed figure skirting around them.

Deeper and deeper into the cave he went. Soon the general chatter and shuffling from the explorers faded away leaving only the sound of the breeze. His senses tingled. There was magic on the air, no doubt about it. Blackness enveloped him. The lantern light from the cave entrance was completely gone now. Unless he wanted to trip and break his neck on the next pointy rock, he would need a light source. He breathed a sigh of relief, releasing his invisibility spell. Holding such spells for too long was tiresome, even for powerful sorcerers and he was already feeling fatigued. But this would not be enough to stop someone of his caliber, no not nearly enough. Concentrating again, he summoned a small flame from another piece of paper.

The cave twisted and turned, but thanks to a lithe build and years of training, squeezing through was not a problem. The wind continued to blow. It was eerie: there were no other living creatures here - no rats, bats, even insects. Shrugging off the uneasiness, he inched through another narrow corridor that opened into a large room. Now there was something out of the ordinary. Just ahead, in the middle of a deep pond was a small shrine. A narrow rope bridge connected the tiny island to his position. "Found it." He smiled.

He approached cautiously, amber eyes scanning the shrine for any sign of traps. The shrine had a little pedestal in the center and a tiny roof with the kanji for 'wind' painted on it. Obvious much? He smirked. Peering down he spotted the real prize. It was a simple wooden box, about six inches across, but the cover bore a familiar emblem. It was an emblem that he had been shown many times as part of his training. He would know it anywhere - the magical circle of Clow Reed. This was it. He took a deep breath and opened it.

An empty box looked back at him.

"What's going on here? Where is it?" He growled, turning the box over in his hands. There had to be a trick to it, right? An incantation. A unique spell meant to hide it from prying eyes perhaps. None of this was mentioned in the legend. The calm winds only stoked his temper. It was just too much! He threw the box to the ground and drew his sword. He didn't give a damn if someone heard him anymore. "I am Syaoran Li, descendent of Clow Reed! It is my destiny to inherit his power. I will not play your childish games! Show yourself!"

And the wind stopped. Everything stopped. The silence was deafening. Syaoran couldn't hear the familiar drip of the water anymore or even his own breathing. His ears felt paralyzed; his senses went numb. All at once, the winds swirled fast and hard, whirling like a hurricane around him. He lurched forward as his sword was ripped from his hand. The winds pressed down on him, until he was on his hands and knees, unable to move. A voice howled in his ear.

"You who would seek Clow's power, leave this place, you are not worthy."

He tried to answer, but his voice wouldn't cooperate.

The voice continued, it's tone distinctly feminine now. "You are brave and strong little one, and you have the gift, but you are not the one. This is not your destiny." It paused, and the winds slowed. "Leave now."

Syaoran grit his teeth and found his voice again. "I will not leave! This is my life, my duty! I must do this for the sake of my family, for the sake of all Tomoeda!" He managed to push himself up into a crouching position. "I will show you that I am worthy and that this is my destiny!"

The wind seemed to consider this. The swirling around him slowed and a sudden gust made him look up. He stared into the face of a spirit. She looked like a fairy with insect wings and billowing robes flowing all around her. Her features were soft and gentle, but her frown was unsettling. "Your determination is admirable, young one, but it alone is not enough. Only one who is proven worthy may possess Clow's power. Do you still wish to try?"

Syaoran considered this momentarily. This was what he'd trained for, what he'd aspired toward his entire life. He would not let some simple spirit stand in his way. "I will do anything to obtain that power."

"As you wish."

The winds whirled and danced around him again with more magical energy than he had ever encountered. It was strangely alive, and it felt warm. The spirit suddenly flew through him bringing a bone searing chill with it. He winced, squeezing his eyes shut tight. His body was on fire. He couldn't move; couldn't cry out. There was a gut-wrenching crack and Syaoran felt his strength leaving him. His vision went black as he collapsed, the cracking continued The air slowed, then stopped. As the spirit faded back into the air, she gave Syaoran a small smile. Perhaps he would be strong enough to endure. "I wish you luck, young one and - I am sorry."

----------------

**A/N:** Thank you for reading. Please review. More to come soon.

**Next chapter: **_Sakura stood in awe. The Wind Cave was like something out of a fairy tale. The entrance stuck out of a small flower-coated hillside, but what was truly amazing was the shape of the cave. The brilliantly colored stalactites and stalagmites made the opening look like a shining pair of wings. It was breath-taking. The wind picked up around her. A strange, prickling sensation ran up her spine. Sakura looked around, suddenly aware that something wasn't right. Where was the archaeology crew? "Hello?" She called. "Is anyone there? Dad?"_


	2. Chapter 01: The Windy

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 1: The Windy**

"I'm leaving!" An energetic girl yelled waving as she raced for the door. Her short auburn locks twirled as she spun around a smiled into the warm sunshine. "It's so nice out today! It'll be perfect!"

The girl looked down at the wicker basket in her arms. Her dad would be so happy! He was always so deeply immersed in his work when on a dig that he skipped meals more often than he should. Luckily, the dig site was not far from home.

"Oi! Monster!" Her reverie was completely shattered by the voice of her older brother, Touya.

"I'm not a monster!" She yelled back.

Touya smirked triumphantly from the door. "Only a monster would stomp through the house the way you do. And at your age, Sakura?"

"I'm 16 - that's almost old enough to stomp you and live on my own!" She retorted. "And I don't see what age has to do with anything." Then, she added. "And I do not stomp."

"Here." He held out a bag.

"What's this?"

"I brought these home from my part time job over at the bakers."

Sakura gingerly opened it. "Lemon cookies!" She smiled. "These are Dad's favorite!" Her green eyes practically glowed..

"You should get a move on if you don't want Dad to starve to death."

"Hmph." She spun on her heels and huffed in annoyance. "Bye!"

As Sakura disappeared down the path, Touya frowned. He'd had this bad feeling lately about Sakura. Something was happening to her and he didn't like it one bit. Still, other than occasionally seeing a small shadow trailing after her - and he wasn't even completely sure about that one. After all, it didn't feel like an ordinary spirit and it certainly wasn't malevolent. Still, it worried him. In the back of his mind, he couldn't shake the feeling that something big would happen to his little sister today. Touya went inside. At least he'd be ready to help if anything happened to her.

----------

The path to the Wind Cave wasn't well travelled, but the archaeology crew had worn a visible path through the forest. Sakura walked along humming a bouncy tune. Before she knew it, the cave was in sight. "Wow." So this was the Wind Cave. Dad's description didn't do it justice. "It's beautiful."

Sakura stood in awe. The Wind Cave was like something out of a fairy tale. The entrance stuck out of a small flower-coated hillside, but what was truly amazing was the shape of the cave. The brilliantly colored stalactites and stalagmites glowed with a strange light. It made the opening look like a shining pair of wings. It was breath-taking. The wind picked up around her. A strange, prickling sensation ran up her spine. Sakura looked around, suddenly aware that something wasn't right. Where was the archaeology crew? "Hello?" She called. "Is anyone there? Dad?"

"Maybe they're too deep in the cave to hear me. Yeah, that must be it." Sakura assured herself. She clapped her hands together. "Right. I'm sure Dad's inside." She laughed to herself. Thinking that something bad happened was just silly. Sakura stepped cautiously into the cave. She did not notice the small, ghostlike figure trailing after her.

Once inside, she noticed the dramatic change in the wind. In here, the wind blew against her face, as if it came from within the cave. Scary. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Be brave, Sakura." She chided herself. "There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just rocks and wind." Her words did nothing to calm her senses. The little hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end and a tingling sensation was running through her entire body. It didn't help that every time the wind gusted, the feeling only got stronger. "Dad?" She forced her voice into a yell, trying to drown out her fears. "Where are you?"

Silence.

"Dad!" She tried again. Her heart beat fast in her chest. The prickly feeling was growing inside her. The wind howled into a gale. It pierced through Sakura as though she were paper. She screamed, but it was silent. Paralyzed by the winds, she dropped her basket and huddled on the cave floor, her hands clamped firmly over her ears. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut as the wind continued to swirl around her.

Suddenly, everything stopped.

Sakura risked a glance; slowly, she opened one eye, then the other. "Where am I?" This didn't look like where she'd sat down. That part of the cave glowed with the light from the rocks, but this place was as bright as day. She looked around to see where the sun must have been coming through. The ceiling was solid. "Dad?" She stood slowly. "Are you in here?" When no one responded, she tried again, louder. "Dad! Ah!" Her heart pounded. She'd definitely seen something. Something moved in the shadows; something was watching her and she had a feeling it wasn't her Dad. Panic rooted her to the spot. Each moment felt like an eternity as she stood stock still, waiting. And waiting. And waiting - but nothing happened. Sakura still felt uneasy, but her heart settled down to a mere rabbit pace and she decided that it must've been her imagination. She took a few tentative steps. Nothing.

----------

In fact, something was watching from the shadows. It watched - and waited. Actually, it barely waited with precious little patience. What did this girl think she was doing? How had she even gotten to this part of the cave? She was frightened by every little thing and she didn't look very strong. Sure, she had a twinge of magic around her, but - this had to be some kind of joke. It stifled a growl before following her again.

----------

It wasn't long before she felt the prickling sensation again. It assaulted her senses, but it felt like, like it was pulling her to the left. It was odd, but somehow, she knew it wanted her to go that way. "Hello?" She whispered. Sakura turned slowly; something caught her eye. "Huh? It looks like a shrine." Pulled forward by an invisible force, Sakura made her way past the rocks and across a narrow rope bridge. The little shrine was nothing more than a box on a pedestal with little bits of decorations hanging down. The shrine roof had the kanji for wind painted on it.

She blinked. A moment ago, there was a box on the pedestal, right? She hadn't just imagined it, right? An empty pedestal stared back at her. She leaned over. Maybe it fell off? No, that would have made noise. Curiosity piqued, Sakura padded down the pedestal. At this point the thing could be invisible and it wouldn't have surprised her. She felt a sharp tingle race up her back.

Suddenly, the winds gusted again. They swirled around Sakura, making her dizzy. She shut her eyes, breathing heavily. It was getting too warm. The air felt hot, stifling, and it was suffocating her. The dizziness overtook her. She couldn't focus anymore. "Help-" she breathed before collapsing.

The floating shadow felt itself become more solid. It felt good to have magic flowing through him again after such a long time. He watched silently as Sakura's unmoving form glow pink, then return to normal. The cave rumbled. Uh oh. Time to get out of here. He floated over to Sakura; at least he should have enough magic to get her out of here.

----------

"Sakura?"

Who was calling her?

"Wake up, Sakura. Sakura?"

The voice was gentle, reassuring, and familiar. Slowly, she fought off the heavy and tired feelings. What a strange dream this was. Eventually, she forced her eyes open. "Dad?"

"Thank goodness you're okay, Sakura." He pulled her into a hug. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you!"

"Dad?" Sakura tried, feeling dizzy again. She raised a hand to her forehead to stop the ground from spinning. "What happened?"

Her father, Fujitaka, gave a small smile. "It looks like there was a collapse in the cave. Thank goodness you hadn't gone in very far." And lucky for him that the team had just come out to get some gear. Otherwise, this could have been a deadly accident. What puzzled him though, was how his daughter had managed to walk inside and not pass them on their way out. There was only one entrance to the cave -

Sakura tugged at her father's sleeve. "I went into the cave?"

"Yes, dear."

Something wasn't right. Her head felt fuzzy, like an old TV. She couldn't quite remember what she'd been doing today, other than bringing her father lunch - Lunch! "Your lunch!"

Fujitaka pulled her picnic basket around so that it sat between them. "This?" He pointed. "I found it out here. Thank you for taking care of me, Sakura." He rubbed her head gently. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I think so." She replied earnestly.

"Good. Then, I think we should head home."

Sakura frowned. "But what about your dig?"

He only smiled. "I don't think we'll be able to work here for a while."

Sakura leaned over to see past her father. Her eyes widened. The cave was an absolute mess! The mouth had collapsed, its beautiful glowing wings now a pile of rubble. "Oh, Dad. I'm so sorry." She was on the verge of tears. How could this have happened? All of her Dad's research; he had really been looking forward to this expedition.

"What's there to be sorry about? It's not your fault." Fujitaka stood up and offered his daughter a hand. "These things happen. The university will send in another team to clean up and we'll come back when they're done."

Her eyes sparkled and she took his hand. "Really?"

"Really."

"That's great!"

"Let's go home."

Sakura smiled brightly. Her Dad always had a way of making her feel better. "Okay!" Hand in hand, father and daughter walked home, the confusing events of the day temporarily forgotten.

----------

Atop a tower, something moved. The full moon illuminated the silhouette of a person holding a sword. Sakura stared dazedly from her position atop another building. A mysterious feeling welled up inside of her and then she was flying. Gliding gently towards the figure on the tower. It was then she noticed the strange outfit she was wearing. It was pink with a long white skirt and belt sash that bobbed with the wind.

She kept on flying, drawing closer to the shadowed figure. It was a man. And the man was - reaching. Towards her. And she was reaching for him. She was close enough that their fingers nearly touched - but only nearly. She fell. Fast. The hazy feeling around her gave way to sheer terror as her stomach lurched. Sakura looked up. The man was on his knees, shouting to her. "Sakura!"

----------

"Sakura?"

She flailed wildly, throwing the covers in every direction. Then, gravity took hold and dropped her on the floor with a thud.

"So the monster's wreaking havoc early today, eh?" Touya's deep voice chuckled.

Sakura peeled the blanket off of her head. "For your information, I was having a bad dream. And I am not -" She drove a heel into his nearby foot, "a monster." She held back a grin while he hopped on his good foot. "And what are you doing in my room?"

Touya tried to draw his thoughts away from his throbbing foot. "Dad said to call you for breakfast, but you didn't answer. I came in to make sure you were all right. I should've known better than to invade a monster's territory."

She stuck out her tongue. "Wait. Breakfast?" A thought struck her, "What time is it?"

"It's after nine." He said flatly before covering his ears.

"Hoeee!" She screeched.

Seconds later, and with Touya successfully evacuated, Sakura dressed and raced downstairs. Pancakes were piled high on three plates at the table. Her father and brother were already seated. "Morning!"

"Good morning, Sakura." Her father smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

"Great!" She joined them at the table.

Soon, her father and brother were chatting about work and Sakura was happily eating her breakfast. As she chewed, her mind wandered back to that dream. It was all so hazy, so - fuzzy in her mind. She remembered flying in a strange dress, but the rest was a blur. Yesterday was so strange, it was almost a dream itself. Maybe she was hallucinating after her fall. Maybe it was just nerves. Yeah. Nerves. But what if -

"Sakura?" Her brother interrupted.

She turned to see her family staring back at her. "Um, yes?"

Deciding that his daughter's vacant look just meant she was sleepy, Fujitaka spoke up. "I was just telling your brother that since my research at the Wind Cave is on hold for now-"

Sakura's face fell. Her dad had waited years to study the Wind Cave, it was the only Clow historical site that had been found and mapped. According to the legend, there were a total of six sites, but over time, the others' locations had been lost. How did you lose something like that? Maybe the legend was made up after all.

"-for the summer. It'll be a few months and Touya will be coming along to work in town. So, I thought you might like to stay with your cousin, Tomoyo. What do you think, Sakura?" Fujitaka smiled.

Her head tilted slightly as she finally processed the information. "Wait. Stay with Tomoyo?"

"It would only be for the summer, while I study at the Royal Academy."

"I think the monster spaced out." Touya smirked. "I've heard they have a very short attention span due to their small brains- Ouch!"

Sakura withdrew her foot before continuing seamlessly, "So, you're going to study at the Royal Academy?"

"Yes, I think I'd like to continue my research on the ancient Clow sites. Do you remember last fall when I travelled into town to announce my findings on the Wind Cave?"

She nodded.

"Well, I was introduced to one of the Academy's history professors and he extended an invitation to continue my research there. At the time, I wanted to explore the Wind Cave further, but he said that it was an open offer. I think that now is a good time to take him up on it. Their library is the largest library in all of Tomoeda and they're rumored to have a collection of Clow's personal writings. There may be a clue that I've overlooked. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to find the location of the other missing sites. But I'm getting ahead of myself." He paused. "If I go, it would be for the rest of the summer. And while I'm staying at the Academy, I won't be able to look out for you and Touya, so I thought you might like to stay with Tomoyo. What do you think?"

Her father glowed as he spoke, lit by the fire of his passion for archaeology. Sakura knew that look well. How could she say no? "Of course you should go, Dad! I'd be happy to stay with Tomoyo." She grinned wide. "I'll go write her a letter now!" Jumping to her feet, she suddenly remembered, "What about Touya?"

"Oh, so the monster remembers the peasants she crushes now?" Touya joked, standing up while smartly pushing the chair between them. Sakura fumed. "I'll just get a job in town. Someone has to make sure he eats after all."

Fujitaka chuckled. "Well, I can get absorbed in my work sometimes."

They stared hard.

"Okay, so maybe most of the time." He conceded.

Sakura nodded vigorously. "It's settled then. I'll go write that letter now." She jogged up the stairs. "This is going to be the best summer, ever!"

Touya turned to his father after she'd gone. "Do you really think she'll be all right on her own?"

"She'll have Tomoyo and her mother." He replied. "Besides, Sakura is Sakura after all."

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her lately. And whatever it was, it had only gotten stronger recently. He sighed to relieve the tension, but the unsettling feeling remained. But he couldn't worry everyone over something so simple as a bad feeling. "I suppose you're right."

----------

One week later, Fujitaka had received correspondence from his contact at the Royal Academy and the family was packing up to move. Sakura took a deep breath as they pulled up in front of Tomoyo's estate. She always forgot how big this place was. Tomoyo's mother owned a large flower shop in town and it was quite popular. "Hoe..." She stared at the endless fields of flowers that surrounded the enormous house.

"Sakura!" A girl with long dark hair appeared in the doorway and rushed towards her.

She hugged her cousin tightly, "Tomoyo! How are you?"

"Great, Sakura, just great. Especially now that you're here. I've got these dresses that you just have to try on!" Tomoyo's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I was so surprised when I got your letter! To think, I get to have Sakura stay with me and model all of my designs! Let's get your things inside to your room, okay?"

Sakura grimaced. Tomoyo was the same as always. Somehow, she managed to give her father and brother a hug before she was hauled into the house, her bags presumably picked up by one of Tomoyo's attendants.

Fujitaka waved from the carriage as it pulled away. "Looks like Sakura is in for a very exciting summer."

"Yeah."

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

Touya paused for a moment before shaking his head. "No, it's nothing. Just worried about the squirt I guess."

His father resumed his usual smile. "That's because you are always looking out for her."

"Yeah, yeah, just don't tell her that."

Touya went back to staring into the flower fields. Something about them was off and he was sure he'd spotted rather large animal tracks back there. Still, that unusual presence was following her around. So far, he'd figured out that it wasn't a malicious spirit, but was it a protective spirit? Maybe. He'd have to come back to check on Sakura soon.

----------

"Now hold still while I take your measurements again." Tomoyo instructed. "I may have to make some alterations."

Sakura shivered.

"Oh come on, alterations aren't anything scary. You know I'm not going to poke you with the pins either." She chided.

But Sakura was still shaking.

"Are you okay? Here, sit down."

She led Sakura to the bed and helped her take a seat. "Thanks, Tomoyo, I was just cold all of a sudden." Boy, that was a lame excuse. But what could she say? 'Tomoyo, I went into a strange cave, had a weird dream and now I feel like I'm being watched?' Who'd believe that anyway?

"Do you want to talk about it?" She placed a hand over her friend's "We're like sisters: you can tell me anything."

"I-" She frowned. Tomoyo looked so worried. She couldn't keep this from her best friend, that just wasn't fair. "I told you in my letter that my Dad's research at the Wind Cave was stopped, right? Because of the cave in?"

She nodded.

"Well, what I didn't tell you was that I was there when the cave in happened. And ever since then, I've been having strange dreams and getting these weird feelings." Sakura eyed her cousin for any signs of disbelief. To her surprise, the girl looked very serious.

"You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No, not even a bump or bruise." She said weakly. "But the really strange thing is that I feel like I'm being watched sometimes. When I turn to look, there's nothing there, but I can feel it."

Tomoyo put her hand to her chin. "So, do you remember anything happening before the cave in?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. I was bringing my Dad food, and I walked into the cave, then it all goes blank."

"What about the dreams?"

"I don't remember much of them either." She sighed.

Standing, Tomoyo took Sakura's hands again. "I believe you. And I'll do anything I can to get to the bottom of this. But, I'm sure that whatever is going on with you, you'll figure it out in no time. I'm sure you'll be all right." She pulled the girl to her feet.

Sakura felt a wave of calm wash over her. "Thanks, Tomoyo."

"Now, off with those clothes," She dashed to her closet and whisked out a shimmering pink dress. "you have to try this on!"

"Hoe..."

"Come on now." She held out the dress.

Sakura sighed heavily, but took the dress. "Fine." Several minutes later, Sakura returned in the fitted dress, pinching it closed at the base of her neck. "I can't quite zip it."

"Here, let me get that-" Tomoyo grabbed the zipper and gasped. "Um, Sakura?"

"Hmm?" She glanced back.

"When did you get a tattoo?"

Sakura froze while the sentence percolated through her troubled mind. "What?!"

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**A/N:** And that's it for Chapter 1. Please read and review.


	3. Chapter 02: The Watery

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 2: The Watery**

"It's a tattoo." Tomoyo stated matter-of-factly.

"Where?"

"On your back, just here." She lightly touched the small of Sakura's back where the base of the zipper rested. "It's just a few stylized lines, they kind of look like wings."

Sakura almost passed out. How had she gotten a tattoo? She didn't remember doing anything like that and she had never drunken even an ounce of alcohol, so how? "Are you sure it's not just paint or dirt or something?" Her voice quivered nervously.

Tomoyo ran her finger along the marking to look for smudges. "No, it's definitely in the skin."

She spun away, panicked. There was a mirror in the corner. She put her back to it and risked a glance over her shoulder. Her eyes went wide. "No." Tomoyo was right. There was a delicate pattern of pink lines along the base of her back. They did look a little like wings. Who could've done this to her? She could feel the tears well up in her eyes.

"It's not a bad tattoo, Sakura." Tomoyo approached cautiously. "I think it's very pretty on you."

Tears trailed down Sakura's cheeks. "Who did this to me?" She sobbed. "I don't want a tattoo!"

The raven-haired girl walked her over to the bed and sat down. She zipped the dress to cover the mark and gently held her friend while she cried. Who would have done something so mean, so personal, so permanent to her dear cousin? Sakura didn't deserve to be treated this way. She suppressed the anger that threatened to surface. "Don't worry." She soothed. "We'll find out what happened."

Sakura suddenly went rigid.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo shifted around to face her. "Are you okay?"

"She's okay. She just sensed me is all." a small nasal voice chuckled.

Tomoyo stood to protect her friend. "Who are you? Where are you? What do you want with Sakura?"

A small yellow lion creature floated down near the girls. "Yo." It waved.

The girls stared in silence.

"Wow, what a room, huh?" The creature smiled. "I suppose I should introduce myself." It landed on the bed. "The name's Ceroberos, Guardian Beast of the Seal. But you guys can call me, Kero."

"Kero?" Sakura mouthed.

It smiled. "That's right, kiddo!" It rubbed its tummy. "Do you have any pudding?"

Tomoyo looked at the creature skeptically. "Excuse me, Mr. Kero, but what are you and why are you here?"

"No pudding huh?" Kero frowned. "I already told ya, I'm the Guardian Beast of the Seal! I'm here because Sakura is my Master- er, Mistress, I guess."

"Your Mistress?"

"Right-o!" It floated in front of Sakura's face this time. "I woke up when I noticed Sakura here near the Wind Cave. I hung around and followed her until she received Windy."

Sakura's brain felt numb. "Windy?"

"You're really new to all this magic stuff, huh?"

"Magic?"

Kero settled in her lap, a serious expression on his face. "I guess I'll start from the beginning. Listen up." He placed a tiny paw on Sakura's hand. "First of all. You have magic; a good bit of it, that's how I woke up and found you. I'm a servant of the great sorcerer Clow Reed. He ended the Great War in ancient Tomoeda, but he died afterwards and left behind a legacy- a prophecy."

Sakura remained in shock, but Tomoyo didn't seem as surprised. She simply urged him to continue. "So what does the prophecy say?"

His voice echoed slightly, as if repeating an ancient, reverent text. "Many years from now, this land will be again be in peril. When that time comes, one who is worthy will come forward. They shall inherit my power and with it, print peace to the land as I have this day. Only one who is worthy may travel to the shrines of Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Sun, and Moon. Only then will they be strong enough to bear this burden and prevent the disaster."

He eyed the girls carefully to gauge their reactions. Sakura still seemed unsure. "Sakura is the chosen one. I woke up when I sensed her magic nearby. Anyway, one of the spirits was in the Wind Cave. It reacted to Sakura's approach and went with her willingly. It's a gentle and loyal spirit after all."

"Went with me?" She asked.

"You've got an unexplainable tattoo?"

Sakura nodded.

"That's Windy."

"Wait just a minute here." Sakura picked the tiny guardian up and set him down on the bed before standing. "You're trying to tell me that I have magical power and that some ancient spirit is now in a tattoo on my butt?"

"Technically, it's on your back." Tomoyo giggled.

"There's more to it than that, but yes." Kero said dismissively.

"There's more?" The petite girl threw her hands up. This was just too much. First, the crazy tattoo, now some magical furry creature was telling her she had magic- "This has to be a dream."

Kero sighed. "Sakura, you're gonna have to trust me on this one. I reacted to your power. You're it, and now you've got to fulfill your destiny."

Sakura shook her head. "Up until this afternoon, my only destiny was to spend the summer at Tomoyo's, go back to school in the fall and grow up to be, I don't know, something helpful to my family."

"Destiny is a funny thing. Expect the unexpected, that's what Clow always said." The Guardian Beast put a thoughtful paw to his chin.

"This all sounds so exciting!" Tomoyo burst out, unable to contain herself anymore. "It's like something out of a fantasy story- the brave heroine must face adversity, grow in power, and conquer some great evil!" Her eyes sparkled.

"Tomoyo-"

"Listen kid, I know this has to sound really strange to you, but I can prove I'm telling the truth."

Sakura stared blankly. "How?"

"Tomorrow." He said. "I'll let you think about all of this tonight. We'll go out to the woods tomorrow and I'll prove everything."

"Okay."

He turned to Tomoyo. "In the meantime, ya got any pudding, I'm starved!"

----------

The carriage rolled to a halt on the cobbles just outside Tomoeda's city gate. Touya pulled the curtain aside and peered out the window. It had been more than a year since he was in the city last. That time, there hadn't been a checkpoint at the gate. There hadn't been an armed soldier frowning distastefully at their carriage either. His voice was clipped as he addressed the driver.

"State your business in Tomoeda."

The driver bowed slightly, "I am transporting the archaeologist, Fujitaka Kinomoto and his son to the University." Though his words came out evenly, his body language made it clear that he was afraid. He shifted nervously.

The soldier frowned. "Open the door."

"Oh, right away!"

Touya sat back and turned to his father. "I didn't think it had come to this yet."

"I had heard the rumors, but I had hoped they were just rumors." Fujitaka sighed and pulled a small card from his pocket.

He had barely freed the card when the carriage door burst open. "Identification!" The soldier demanded while his right hand hovered over his scabbard.

"Here you are, Sir." He emphasized the sir with a smile. "I am Fujitaka Kinomoto, active member of the Archaeology Guild." The card was pulled from his hand, but he just continued smiling. "I am here to see Mr. Hiiragizawa at the University."

The soldier stared hard at the tiny piece of paper. If it were possible, he would have burned a hole in it with his gaze. His brow shifted and he eyed Touya with narrow, brown eyes. "And he is?" It wasn't really a question: it was more of an order.

Touya tried not to scowl, but it was a losing battle. "Touya Kinomoto. He is my father." He gestured at the man opposite him while returning the soldier's cold stare.

There was something about the way Touya stared. It could unnerve even the toughest fighter. This soldier didn't stand a chance. He coughed before dropping the card back into Fujitaka's hands. "Looks like everything is in order. City curfew is 10 PM, no excuses and no one out on the streets. Proceed."

The door closed as quickly as it opened and the two men found themselves in motion again. After several minutes of silence, Touya sighed. "So, you were saying something about rumors?"

"The other archaeologists told me a week or two ago." He kept his tone low. "Apparently, the Crown Prince has gone missing. And the neighboring kingdoms are taking advantage of the opportunity. I've heard that several small attack forces have already started marching towards the borders."

"I don't get it." Touya frowned. "How can one stupid missing brat cause so much trouble?"

He just smiled. "You shouldn't talk about the Prince that way. He is nearly old enough to be King."

"Fine. But why?"

"Because of what I just said." He replied evenly. "He is nearly old enough to become King. In less than a year, he would be crowned. Without him, there is no heir. Without an heir, the stability of the kingdom is threatened. To other kingdoms who want Tomoeda's land, this is a good opportunity."

"Politics." Touya huffed.

"Politics. And let us hope that it stays political, I don't want to see the kingdom at war."

His sentence hung in the air as their carriage stopped again.

The door opened.

A slender young man with blue hair and glasses appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in red robes lined with golden suns - the symbol of Tomoeda University. He smiled and gave a slight bow. "Welcome to Tomoeda. I am Eriol Hiiragizawa, professor of history. I would love to hear about your recent findings at the Wind Cave, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Please follow me inside and I will show you to your quarters." He stepped back to allow them to exit.

"Thank you, Mr. Hiiragizawa." Fujitaka stepped out into the waning daylight. "This is my son, Touya."

"A pleasure." He bowed again.

Touya greeted him with a nod. This kid was a little young to be a professor. True, he acted mature enough, but how did someone his age qualify to teach at a University? With an inward shrug, he chalked it up to the crazy city. This was why he didn't travel here often.

"This way please." Eriol started towards the big, red wooden doors of the university. "Your room is just up the stairs at the end of the main corridor."

Fujitaka walked alongside the blue-haired boy and chatted eagerly about archaeology. Touya followed several paces behind. It was strange, but he couldn't help but stare at them. They traded comments at length, and the professor didn't miss a beat. They were so much alike. For a moment, he forgot that the kid was really just a kid - no more than twenty years old. He shook the thought from his head and quickened his pace to catch up.

The group stopped in front of a door with the familiar sun symbol embossed next to it. Eriol pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. It swung inward without making a sound. "Your room gentlemen."

Touya grinned for the first time since he'd arrived in Tomoeda. "Now this is a room."

"Mr. Hiiragizawa, this is too much." Fujitaka breathed.

The room was opulent to say the least. It was as big as all the rooms in their small home put together. Two four-poster beds stood on opposite sides of the room. The walls were red, naturally, with gold trim. A desk sat neatly in front of the large window on the left side of the room. There were bookshelves along the remaining walls, with a narrow doorway leading to what was hopefully a bathroom.

"Eriol, if you please." The man adjusted his glasses gently. "And this is nothing. It is the guest suite and you are my honorable guests. Think nothing of it."

Touya stood by the window. "Fine by me."

"Touya." Fujitaka chided.

"Do not worry about it, my friend. Remember that you are providing us with valuable research information. It would be a travesty if that knowledge were not valuable enough to merit a comfortable work environment." Eriol pulled the door closed. His features spoke volumes and they said that the pleasantries were over. "I trust you were informed of the curfew?"

Fujitaka nodded. "It seems things have gotten worse."

"The guards at the gate are only the half of it. The Prince has been missing long enough that other kingdoms are aware of it. Our kingdom has stood on its lineage for a long time. And truth be told, we are vulnerable. I fear that we may be in for another Great War if something isn't done soon." Eriol stated. "This is why your research of the Clow shrines is so imperative."

Fujitaka took a deep breath. "I will do everything I can."

"I am glad to hear it." He smiled an enigmatic smile. "For now, please relax. The kitchen staff will bring up some dinner shortly and I will stop by in the morning to give you a proper tour of the libraries." He tossed the key at Touya. "Good night."

Eriol slipped out the door leaving Fujitaka and Touya staring at each other in silence.

----------

The evening came and went. By morning, Sakura had almost forgotten about magic. Well, almost. She would have had it not been for the yellow creature staring at her from about four inches away.

"Yo." It waved.

Sakura focused her sleepy eyes for a moment, yelled, and swung wildly. Kero was flung across the room before slamming into the wall.

"Ow!" He groaned, sliding to the floor. He rubbed his throbbing head. "What'd ya do that for?"

Sakura held the covers up to her chest, slightly embarrassed. "Um. Sorry. I just, I didn't know what to think. You were right there, and -"

"Well geez. I was only there, because you were scrunching your face up and making noises in your sleep. I was worried about ya." Kero managed to sit up straight. He rubbed his jaw. "But I guess I shouldn't worry, that's one heck of a backhand ya got there."

"Sorry."

"It's all right. I'm tough. Just don't do it again, 'kay?" The small creature floated up to the window. "Could ya open this for me?"

Sakura nodded. "But why?"

"Well, I told you I'd explain things today, right?"

"Yes."

"I can't really do that here. So, you go on and have breakfast with Tomoyo. Then, pack a picnic lunch and I'll meet you outside the house. Just head straight from the front entrance." Kero replied matter-of-factly.

Sakura seemed to process the information for a few seconds before responding. "Okay."

"And kid, can ya do me a favor?"

"Um, okay?"

The little guardian flew up close to her ear for a moment. "Pack some sweets in that lunch for me. I'm starved!"

"Oh." Sakura breathed. Why had she expected him to ask something crazy involving magic? Sweets? That was something realistic, easily done. "I can do that."

"Alright!" And with that, Kero disappeared out the window.

Almost two hours later, Sakura and Tomoyo stepped out of the house into the warm sunshine. Sakura carried a picnic basket while Tomoyo held a few _items_ that she just couldn't leave behind. Those _items_ accounted for a basket that was almost twice the size of Sakura's. "Do you really need to bring all of that along, Tomoyo?"

"Of course I do! This is a picnic right?"

"Well, kind of, yes." She admitted.

"So," Tomoyo practically twinkled, "It's the perfect day to do some sketches of Sakura, fairy princess in the magical forest!"

Sakura nearly tripped. Sometimes, Tomoyo was just plain over the top. "Tomoyo-"

"And I had to bring along the fabrics so that I could see how they would look on you. Besides, I figured I would have some downtime while Kero explains things to you anyway. Where is he?" She looked around, momentarily distracted from her Sakura craze.

"He said he'd meet us out here. Let's walk a bit."

Tomoyo looked thoughtful. "He probably doesn't want to be seen, so he'll be waiting at the tree line."

Sakura looked up in the distance. It was a few hundred yards off, but the trees there seemed to clump together all of a sudden, leaving everything beyond them in murky darkness. "Hoe..." She whimpered.

"Oh come on. It only looks scary from here." She reached over and took Sakura by the arm. "You'll see. There aren't any ghosts to be afraid of."

"Ghosts?"

"No, Sakura. No ghosts. Come on."

The two girls walked a ways and Sakura was surprised to find that the trees were much less scary up close. In fact, she noticed, there were many beautiful flowers in bloom just ahead. It made for a scene out of a painting. "Wow. I was scared for nothing. These trees are really pretty!"

"Told you." She giggled.

"Yo!"

"Aaaaaaaagh!"

Kero ducked as Sakura's arm, loaded with picnic basket, swung out overhead. "Y'know, you're really jumpy."

Sakura panted, red-faced. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry." He drifted over to her shoulder. "Anyway, I checked it out this morning, and we need to head out this way." Kero pointed deeper into the woods. "There's a special place in these woods." He paused and closed his eyes. "It's not too far. I'll prove everything to you there."

"Lead the way." Tomoyo smiled.

"Hoe..."

The girls followed Kero into the forest, unaware of the stranger watching them carefully from a few hundred yards away. He waited until they almost disappeared from sight before following. Something was going to happen today, he could sense it.

----------

"We're here!" Kero announced.

Tomoyo squinted in the sun as they came out of a cluster of trees and stepped onto an open field. "Wow." She breathed. "It's beautiful!"

Sakura caught up a moment later and stared. She could scarcely believe this kind of place existed inside such a thick wood. Before her lay an open field, full of flowers of every color in full bloom. It was somehow warmer here, like it was rich with life. But the flowers weren't the most breathtaking thing there. Several hundred yards away was a beautiful blue lake. The water moved gently with the breeze and glistened in the sunlight. "Where are we?"

The guardian looked pleased. "This is the Water Shrine."

"Water Shrine?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yup. This is where the spirit of water resides."

"Spirit?" Sakura shivered.

"No, no, Sakura. I don't think he means a ghost, right Kero?" Her friend explained quickly, giving Kero a pleading glance.

He caught on quickly. "Of course not! There are no ghosts here at all. I was just talking about the spirit of water, she's a magical being like the wind spirit."

"Then why are they called spirits?" She whined.

"Well, um-" He struggled to find a way to explain. "It's because spirit is energy, right? And magic is also energy. So, since these beings are made up of magic, they are spirits."

"Oh."

"That makes a lot of sense." Tomoyo said quickly. "So, you said you would explain?"

He'd have to watch out for this girl, she was much faster on the uptake than Sakura. She noticed things, remembered things, he'd have to be careful of what he said around her. "As I was sayin'. This is the Water Shrine, where the spirit of water resides. I brought you here so that Sakura could obtain her power."

"Obtain her power?" Sakura questioned. "How? There's no one here?"

Kero flew closer to her. "Just relax for a minute okay? For each shrine, there is a trial. Some kind of test for the person who would gain the power."

"A trial?"

Kero nodded. "Yup. Because not just anyone can use the magic of Clow Reed. Most people would just be deflected from this place. Normal people probably don't even realize that this place is special at all. All they see is a lake."

Sakura looked confused. "I don't understand."

"Okay. Okay. So, you remember the Wind Cave?"

"Yes."

"Well, your Dad and the other archaeologists were in the cave, right? And they didn't notice anything special. I mean, it even took them a long time to find the place. They never did find the spirit in the cave." He explained.

"Oh."

"But when you went in-" He prompted gently. He felt guilty, he really did, but she had to remember. So, he pushed a tiny bit of his magic at her.

She paused and then stared blankly. Her voice was low and even. "I felt strange. It was like someone was calling me. I walked for a while until I saw a rope bridge and a little shrine. There was a box, and then it was gone. The wind blew all of a sudden. I felt hot. I couldn't breathe. But the wind smiled at me. She was beautiful-"

"Sakura?" Tomoyo touched her friend's shoulder gently.

She seemed to snap out of her daze. "Then, I passed out. But, why am I remembering now? Before, everything felt fuzzy, like the details weren't there. Was I dreaming? What's wrong with me?" She sat down and held a hand to her head.

Kero perched in front of her, almost regretting forcing her memory. "It's okay kiddo. People tend to forget traumatic events, and what happened at the cave was probably scary for ya. Nothing is wrong with ya. In fact, you've got something amazingly right with ya! You are a powerful sorceress, Sakura. That's something to be proud of!"

Proud? Of her magic? He had to stifle a laugh. From his vantage point, she hardly had any aura at all. He crept a little closer, crouching in the foliage to hide himself. How could this girl have something that he didn't? How could she possibly be the chosen one? Maybe his task was to take the power from her before someone else did. Yeah. That had to be it. He turned his attention back to the girls and closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over. The girl, Sakura had a small pink aura surrounding her. The other girl vanished from his senses, clearly she had no magic whatsoever. But, there was something else there. The creature that the girls were talking with. It had a golden aura, more powerful than Sakura's, and a big mouth. He opened his eyes. They were moving towards the water now. Perfect. He'd just wait until they found the spirit and then he'd get the magic. That would fix everything. He just had to be patient.

"Okay now, Sakura." Kero gestured towards the water. "Just close your eyes and follow my instructions. You can do this, kiddo!"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Good. Now, clear your mind and think about what's around you. Find the thing that is out of place."

Sakura hesitated, this sounded a little strange. "I don't think I can do this."

"You can. Just relax. Remember that feeling you had at the Wind Cave? That tingling? Find it!"

It struck her like a blazing light in the darkness.

Sakura saw her surroundings illuminate behind her eyes. They spread out, filling in details as they went. Everything was black and white, as though she was viewing the world through a special lens. Then, she felt the tingling. It was coming from the center of the water. In her mental image, the spot glowed bright blue. Staring at it sent shivers down her spine.

"There!" She opened her eyes and pointed.

"Good job!" Kero cheered.

"But," She dropped her hand. "It's in the middle of the lake. How am I supposed to get out there?"

"Swim." Tomoyo stated.

"Swim? But, I don't have a-"

Tomoyo smiled. "Yes. You do."

The dark haired girl produced a simple pink bathing suit from her basket. It had streamers of material along the hips that trailed away like fish fins. After several minutes of prodding, and making Kero promise he wouldn't look, she changed into the bathing suit. "Okay, I'm ready. I guess." She frowned.

"Okay, kiddo. Just remember what that magic felt like and find it. Once you get there, find the spirit and absorb its power."

"How do I do that, exactly?"

"Beats me. How'd you absorb Windy?"

Tomoyo smiled. "That's such a cute little name, Windy."

"It was one of Clow's habits. He nicknamed all of the spirits. That's why I'm called Kero." He sighed. "Clow was a little- eccentric."

"Um guys, could we focus here?" Sakura called.

"Sorry!"

"Okay! Let's go!" Kero cheered before flying out over the water. "Come on, Sakura!"

Surprisingly, the water wasn't very cold. Aside from the fact that she was on a mission to find some magical spirit, this was actually pretty nice. Swimming in the warm summer sunshine. But this wasn't a fun excursion. And before long, she was floating in the center of the lake. "So, now what?" She looked at Kero hopefully. But he just floated above her, looking around.

Piercing amber eyes stared at the pair in the water. What was she doing? He overheard enough of their conversation to know that the water spirit was supposed to be here, but swimming to it? Even this girl couldn't be that dense could she? Spirits are powerful magical entities. The don't just show up, say, here, have my magic, and let you go. Magic is dangerous.

"Agh!" Sakura's scream ended in a gurgle as she was suddenly pulled under the water.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo yelled. "Kero! Sakura's been pulled under!"

"Damn it!" He cursed, diving into the water.

He swam as fast as his little appendages would let him, but Sakura was being pulled down too fast. He stopped and tried to focus on it. Water! It was the water spirit! "Sakura!" He gurgled. "It's magic! It's Water! You have to break free!" Kero swam on, magical creatures didn't need to breathe, but Sakura would have to. She didn't have long.

Above the water's surface, two pairs of eyes watched eagerly, one with concern and the other with ire. "Great." He thought to himself. "If she drowns, then what happens to the magic? She is an idiot! But-" He cursed. "If she dies, I may never break this curse. Damn it." With a growl, he charged out of his hiding place and leaped into the water.

Tomoyo spun at the sound. Her eyes went wide with fear. "Sakura!"

----------

Sakura's mind was in a haze. She knew that she was underwater, and that she couldn't breathe. A moment ago, her lungs were burning and everything hurt, especially her ankle. Now, it was all happening somewhere else. She could see Kero a long way off, yelling something, but he wasn't making a sound. All she could hear was the sound of the water.

It felt like she was dreaming. Like she was watching her own dream play out in front of her. Now, there was something else in the water too. It was streaming towards her, fast. Dazedly, she wondered what it might be. Maybe it's a sea horse, or a mermaid! She tried to get a better look. It wasn't a mermaid. In fact, she was pretty sure it was a dog. No, not a dog. It was getting closer now and she could see its face more clearly. It was a wolf.

"Wolves don't belong in the water." She chuckled to herself. This is a silly dream.

But wolves weren't supposed to grab you by the arm. And it wasn't supposed to hurt in a dream. Red trails drifted from her arm around the wolf's jaws. It bit her. And it hurt. It hurt!

All at once, the pressure of the water came back. Her lungs were on fire and the pain in her ankle was unbearable, even more so than her arm. The wolf continued to pull at her. The truth of the situation slammed into her brain. She was drowning. Drowning! She had to get to the surface. Now!

It was as though a spark of energy surged through her. Sakura's body glowed a faint pink. The wolf released its grip, a bit surprised. Kero had to paddle fast to get out of her way as Sakura rocketed upward. She broke through the surface and continued to fly until she hovered several feet over the water.

She coughed heavily and held her arm.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo wiped her teary eyes and stared at her friend. "Sakura, you're flying!"

The wolf and Kero crested the surface a few seconds later.

"Way to go kiddo! You've tapped into Windy's power!"

The wolf growled.

Kero turned to see what the growl was about. "Uh oh."

"Kero?" Sakura called.

"It's the water spirit, run Sakura!" Kero leapt out of the water and flew past the floating girl. "Move it!"

As he spoke, the water bubbled and swelled upward. It's shape became that of a young girl with fins everywhere and long, wavy hair. She was absolutely beautiful. Well, Sakura thought she was if she wasn't trying to kill her. She floated helplessly while the watery maiden sneered.

"Sakura! Come on, fly!" Kero yelled.

"But I don't know how!"

The water spirit was getting too close for comfort now. She drew back a mighty arm and swung it forward. The water lunged towards Sakura. She curled up and closed her eyes, preparing for the impact.

There was a splash, but Sakura never felt the hit. She opened her eyes in time to see the limp form of the wolf sailing through the air near her. It must have saved her! But it was going to crash into the ground at this rate!

"Hang on!" She didn't even think as she flew towards the falling creature. She forgot how heavy it should have been when she grabbed it mid-air. She didn't realize that it could have killed her as she laid it down gingerly on the ground. All she knew, was that she was angry.

"All right water. This is it." In a flash, Sakura was soaring over the water's surface, dodging columns of water and pounding rain. The water spirit looked angry as she tried to hit Sakura with everything she had and missed.

"Sakura!" She heard Kero yell. "Use Windy's power to stop her!"

"Windy!" Sakura felt the word leave her lips almost automatically.

Freezing winds streamed towards the water spirit. She screeched, lunging forward in one last great wave before turning to ice. But Sakura wasn't done. There was one more thing to do to truly defeat this spirit. She knew what had to be done. With a wave of her arm, another gust of wind sliced through the air, and shattered the ice sculpture that had been the water spirit. It crumbled into thousands of tiny crystal shards. They toppled into the water harmlessly.

Sakura landed on the edge of the lake, near the wolf. She felt drained. Tired. But this creature, it had tried to save her. "Thank you." She reached down to ruffle its fur. "I'm sorry that you got hurt. And I don't know why you wanted to help me. But," She was fighting back tears. "Thank you."

"Sakura!" Kero and Tomoyo raced over to her.

Tomoyo gasped. "A wolf! I thought I saw one leap into the lake, but I couldn't believe it. Is he a friend of yours, Kero?"

Kero stared up at her. "Nope. Never met him before."

"Is he-" Sakura sniffed, unable to finish the thought.

Kero put a large ear to the wolf's chest. "No. He's alive."

The wolf's eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet, growling. What on earth were these people doing? He was a wolf! A scary, feral creature! They should be afraid of him! He snarled, then did the only thing that he could think of at the moment. He bit Sakura's arm.

"Ow!" She yelped.

"Sakura!"

"Let go of her ya mutt!" Kero pulled at his ear.

Sakura held back her tears. "It's okay. He doesn't mean it. He's just upset."

"Sakura, he's a wild animal!" Tomoyo cried.

"But he saved my life. He-" She bit her lip. "He protected me. I won't believe he's bad."

The wolf released his grip. He watched sullenly as the girl's arm bled. Why had he reacted that way. Damn it. He wasn't some stupid beast. He stepped back cautiously as she stared at him. And why did she look so sad? It was like she pitied him. Why?

Something else caught his eye for a moment, and everyone turned to look with him. Just behind Sakura, a glowing card was floating through the air. It sailed up to her, then dissolved into her chest. He watched in awe as Sakura's body glowed blue for a split second and a design drew itself on her ankle. She touched it gently. "Kero?"

"Congratulations, kiddo." He smiled. "Now you have the power of two spirits."

"Sakura! That's great!" Tomoyo smiled.

"And you-" Kero looked to the wolf, but he was nowhere to be found.

"He's gone." Sakura mumbled.

"Good riddance!"

"Sakura, let's get that arm bandaged."

"Stupid mutt!"

"Why did it choose her?"

The last voice was barely a whisper.

"Kero, did you say something?" She asked quietly.

"I said, stupid mutt!" He repeated happily.

"No, after that."

"I didn't say anything."

"Then, Tomoyo?"

She frowned. "I didn't hear anything other than Kero's yelling."

Sakura could see them watching her carefully. "Must've just been some water in my ear then. Sorry."

"Come on kid." Kero announced. "You've had a rough day. Let's get you back to Tomoyo's place."

"Okay." She nodded.

"And Sakura?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you believe me now?" He grinned like the cat that's swallowed the canary.

She sighed. "Yes, Kero. I believe you."

"And Sakura?"

He really liked to say, "I told you so," huh? "Yes Kero?"

"Can we have lunch first?" He whined.

As if on cue, her stomach gurgled.

"Oh no, lunch! I set the basket down over there. Or was it over there?" She looked around frantically, but the basket was nowhere in sight.

Tomoyo sighed. "It must have gone into the lake when the water spirit went crazy."

"Sorry Kero."

"Awwww."

"I guess we'll just have to have a big dinner to make up for it when we get back." Tomoyo smiled.

"Mmm." Sakura rubbed her stomach. "I want croquets!"

"Cake!"

"Cake?" Sakura glanced at Kero, who smiled sheepishly.

"I like sweets."

"I'm sure some cake can be arranged." Tomoyo replied.

"Yay! Cake!"

----------

**A/N:** That's it for Chapter 2. Sorry for the delay and thank you for being patient. Please read and review. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 03: The Firey

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 3: The Firey**

It was late in the day when the girls returned to Tomoyo's home. Dinner came and went without much discussion, and Tomoyo requested that the girls take dessert in her room, much to Kero's delight.

"Cake!" He cheered as they entered the room.

"As promised." Tomoyo smiled.

The strawberry shortcake practically flew from her hands as Kero launched it directly into his mouth. "Mhmmph!"

"Kero..." Sakura sighed. "Take it easy while I take a bath, okay? I just need to relax."

Tomoyo nodded. "The towels are already in the bathroom for you, Sakura. And there's a robe too."

"Thanks!"

The door swung closed and the room was silent for a moment. Then, Kero frowned. "I'm worried about Sakura."

"Why?"

He floated to the ground, cross-legged, "She could get hurt. She almost drowned today. I couldn't protect her."

"But she made it through okay."

"But what if she didn't?"

"Kero?" Tomoyo took a seat next to the troubled guardian. "May I ask a question?"

He nodded.

"What happens when Sakura collects all of the spirits?"

"Kiddo, you ask some really tough questions. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer." Kero put a hand to his chin. "The only thing Clow told us is that the country will be at war again and someone will have to step in to stop it. Someone with power. Someone -"

"Sakura." She said flatly.

"Yes, Sakura."

"So, she has to stop a war? How can she do that, even with magic?"

Kero's shoulders sunk. "I don't know. I wish I did."

"But, you know, Kero, Sakura is stronger than she looks. I know she'll be all right."

"She's really lucky to have a friend like you." He brightened.

She laughed madly. "Anything for my cute, little Sakura!"

He staggered back a bit. This girl was something else. "Well, we're going to have to head to the other shrines, and the sooner the better. How soon do you think we can leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"Do you think that your family will be suspicious of two girls going off on an extended trip?" He asked. "I mean, won't they stop you from going?"

"Maybe." She thought for a moment. "But if they think we're going to the city to stay with Sakura's brother, maybe they'll be more comfortable with it."

"Do you think they'll believe that?"

"At least for a while, but by then, we'll be halfway to the next shrine." Tomoyo grinned.

"You know, I'm going to have to keep an eye on you. That's sneaky."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Kero."

"So, tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow."

Sakura slipped carefully into the steaming water. Her muscles ached from the day's activities and the soothing water felt like a dream. Well, aside from the stinging in her arm. The bite marks still marred her skin. She closed her eyes and breathed a deep, relieved sigh. The wolf had seemed somehow sad, not mean. And his eyes, they were so- something she just couldn't pinpoint. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever meet him again. Yes, him. Something about the wolf was just decidedly male. Sakura let her thoughts trail away as the warm water eased her mind. The steam filled the room with a warm haze.

But it was getting hot, much hotter than it should be. Sakura opened her eyes and panicked. Everything around her was on fire! The ground, the sky, everything. The bath was gone and she was naked amongst the rolling flames. They jumped and licked at her bare skin, yet somehow, she was unscathed. "How am I not burning?" She thought out loud.

Then, she noticed the blur. It was barely there, but if she stared hard at her arm, she could see it. She touched it hesitantly: it wobbled under her fingertips. "Water?" Somehow, a shell of water was protecting her from the heat. "But how?" A roar erupted in the distance. Something grew out of the flames; it twisted and writhed, revealing a gaunt figure with blazing wings. It grinned and dived at her. The wave of fire engulfed Sakura.

She screamed. Her head was barely above the water and it felt like a deflated balloon. Gasping, she managed to lift herself out of the tub and flop over onto the floor. The cool tile slowly brought her senses back. Carefully, she took in her surroundings. Tomoyo's house. The bathroom. No fire. Good. The mark on her ankle stared back at her dauntingly.

"Sakura!" Kero yelled as the bathroom door gave way. "What's wrong?"

She looked up. Then down. Then she screamed again and launched the nearest object at the tiny guardian. "Out! Now!" The wayward shampoo bottle whirled through the air at breakneck speed before catching Kero and launching him well into the hall.

"Sakura! I heard you scream and then Kero went running off-" Tomoyo appeared in the doorway, out of breath and looking worried. She glanced from Sakura to Kero and back again. The little fur ball looked dazed, but otherwise okay. Sakura, on the other hand-

"Are you okay, girls?" A voice called from downstairs.

"It's fine, Sakura just thought she saw a bug in the bath." Tomoyo responded quickly.

The voice seemed satisfied for the moment.

Tomoyo turned to her friend, "Sakura, it's okay. I'll get you a towel."

Her friend panted and held her head in her hands. "Tomoyo?"

She handed the towel over. "Yes?"

"I think I'm okay now. I had a bad dream and Kero kind of scared me more." She explained.

"A bad dream?"

Sakura was on her feet now. The air seemed lighter and cooler now. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Kero is the 'guardian of the seal,' I'm sure he'll be fine after a little thing like a shampoo bottle. It looks like you clocked him pretty good though, ne? I didn't know you could throw like that." Tomoyo grinned. Anything to change the subject.

"I didn't know I could either."

"Come on now." The dark-haired girl helped her friend down the hall and into some pajamas.

At least Sakura guessed they were pajamas.

"Tomoyo, about these pajamas-" She blushed. "These aren't mine." The frilly pink slip had to be Tomoyo's handiwork. It was made of silk, no doubt, and the spaghetti straps and plunging neckline made her feel rather exposed. This ensemble looked like it'd fit be better suited for a fancy party or some other non-sleeping activity. "They're a little fancy, and um, revealing-"

"But they were made for you. And you look so cute in them!" She cooed.

"But-" The cool air sent chills up her bare arms. She hugged them to herself for warmth and modesty.

The stars faded from Tomoyo's designer-crazed eyes. "So, feeling better then?"

"A little chilly, but yeah."

"So what happened?"

She hesitated. "I just had a bad dream." And then she lied. "It's okay though. I don't even remember what scared me so much. Maybe my head slipped under the water for a second there."

'What aren't you telling me?'

"Huh?" Sakura looked at her friend carefully. She was certain that Tomoyo hadn't moved or said anything, but just now-

"I didn't say anything, Sakura. But I am glad to know that you're feeling better. Please be careful not to fall asleep in the tub next time." She chided.

"And no more, ugh, shampoo hurling." Kero wafted into the room and plopped down on the bed. "You almost killed me with strawberry scented soap. What a horrible way to go." He whined.

Sakura looked at her feet. "I'm sorry, Kero. I didn't mean to throw it that hard, I just-"

"S'okay kiddo. You just used a little magic with that throw." He brightened. "I'm kinda glad to see you're getting better at using your power. Just don't test it on me, okay?"

"Sorry." She rubbed her hands together nervously.

"Extra dessert."

"What?"

"You heard me." Kero announced. "I'll accept extra dessert as an apology. And I want cake. It had better have ice cream on top too; lots of it." He waved his arms in a big circle for emphasis. "Got it?"

Sakura brightened, catching on. "Okay. I'll go get it now!" She scurried from the room.

Tomoyo watched the door and waited.

One.

Two.

Three-

The door swung open and a cherry red Sakura popped in, grabbed her bathrobe, and stormed out of the room again.

Tomoyo giggled.

After much dessert and packing, the girls settled into bed. Kero waited until they dozed lightly before slipping out the window. Quietly, he floated away from the house and settled in the higher branches of a nearby tree. He looked up at the slim moon and sighed. "Clow, am I doing the right thing?" He frowned. "Sakura is a good girl. I don't want to see anything happen to her. I hope you've got something up your sleeve, Clow, because if you mean for her to stop the disaster the same way you did, then-" The cool air ruffled his fur slightly as he knit his brows together. "She's a little clumsy and doesn't really have a handle on her magic yet, but she's giving it her best shot."

Kero stared skyward, "She nearly killed me with a shampoo bottle, Clow. A shampoo bottle." He spat as though the word were poisonous. "She's strong. Her magic has grown a lot in just the short time I've known her. She's got a lot of potential, ne?" The stars twinkled lightly. "Clow, I haven't been awake very long. I don't know what the future holds, but I really think that Sakura will be able to get through it. I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure of it." Nodding to no one, Kero drifted back to the house and Sakura's pillow. He patted her head gently before curling up next to her. "Good night, kiddo."

"Wait-"

"Sakura?" He whispered, lifting his head to observe his mistress. Her face was slightly contorted, as though she were concentrating. She had an arm outstretched and her hand was grasping the blanket.

Kero reached a paw towards her, and hesitated. Sakura's face relaxed as did her grip on the blanket. Her breathing settled and she slept peacefully as though nothing had happened. He waited a minute more to see if anything happened. When twenty minutes passed, he resigned himself to sleep. He'd have to ask Sakura about it tomorrow.

Those girls did not know how to pack a proper picnic lunch. What was this? Some kind of peasant vegetable? The wolf nosed the errant greens aside in his quest for something better at the bottom of the basket. His searching ended with a rice ball. It was better than nothing and he'd already eaten the meat from the sandwiches. Oh well, anything was better than having to hunt. The word hung in his mind. Somewhere inside, the desire to chase down small animals, rip them to shreds, and eat their innards was there. He could suppress it easily, but it was definitely there. Jerking the now-empty basket aside, he stared heavenward.

How long would it be before the desire to hunt grew too strong? How long before he couldn't control himself? Couldn't think? Would the curse turn him into just another creature in the wild? His stomach lurched. The nobility of Tomoeda hunt wolves for sport. Normal people would kill a wolf as soon as they saw it.

But she wouldn't. The auburn-haired girl popped into his thoughts, unbidden. She had approached him willingly. She didn't back down when he snarled at her. Not even when he bit her. God, he bit her? The feeling of his teeth in her flesh was haunting, it was eerie, but he couldn't shake the uncomfortable sensation all evening. And he hadn't really intended to bite her at all. He was just going to scare her and collect the spirit that was rightfully his. It was rightfully his, right? Of course it was! He scolded himself for even considering the idea. It was his birth right. Of course, this was all just a test of his strength.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he pondered his next move. The girls would probably head for the next shrine soon. With that in mind, he padded away towards the Daidouji estate.

"Wake up, Sakura." Tomoyo whispered, shaking her friend gently.

"Hmm?" The girl stirred, partly opened an eye, and then turned over.

"Sakura!"

"Hoe…"

"Wake up. We need to get going now." Kero urged, peeling back the covers.

"Five more minutes?"

"I'm afraid not, Sakura."

Finally, she blinked and sat up. "What time is it?"

"Earlier than you'd usually get up, I'd say." Kero crossed his arms haughtily. "Now, c'mon kiddo! It's time to go."

"Go?"

Tomoyo smiled. "Sakura's a little slow on the uptake early in the morning." She put a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder. "We're leaving for the other shrines now. I've already packed your bag."

"What?" Sakura jerked into sentience. "We're going where?"

"Shh." Kero urged. "Keep your voice down. We don't want to wake the whole house."

"But won't your mom worry-"

"It's okay, Sakura. I talked to her about it last night." Tomoyo smiled brightly.

"You did?"

"Yes, and she had no problem with us going to visit your brother and father for a few days."

"Well, I suppose- wait a minute!" Sakura curled her feet under her and stared hard at Tomoyo. "I thought you said we were going to the shrines?"

The dark-haired girl grinned wider. "We are."

"So, the whole story about going to visit Touya and Dad is-"

"A little cover up." Kero finished. He frowned at Sakura's less than satisfied expression. "Look, we can't exactly spread the word about this little journey. But this is important business! The whole world's at stake."

"But, Kero, I don't like lying to people. And I don't want Tomoyo's mom or my family to worry." She unfolded her legs and rubbed the mark on her ankle. "But, you have a point. This is real, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you or Tomoyo, or my Dad, or Touya."

"Aw, I knew I could could on ya, kid." The guardian floated over to her shoulder. "Now come on. After you get dressed and we have some breakfast, we'll set out for the Ruby Desert."

"The desert? But there's nothing out there, well, other than sand, I mean. Isn't there?" Sakura asked.

"The desert is home to the shrine of the fire spirit."

That afternoon, Kero attempted to explain things to Sakura. That didn't go over as easily as he'd hoped. As the sun set, Kero tried for the fourth time. "You gain power as you go. Each spirit becomes a part of you. And I can't tell you where the other shrines are yet. I don't know. They are revealed to me when you get a new spirit."

"So, let me get this straight. Each one of these spirits is an element and when I collect them, I get stronger?" She tilted her head to the side for a moment. "And you were Clow's guardian, but you don't know where the other shrines are?"

"It's like I said," Kero replied hastily, "There are six spirits, one for wind, water, fire, earth, the sun, and the moon. Each spirit resides at a special shrine that is hidden away from everyone, including those with magic. It takes a lot of looking to find one - and even then, the shrine has to want to be found." Kero stated. "And when you obtain a spirit, you gain it's power."

"Like?" She stared blankly at him.

Kero sighed. Sakura could be dense at times. "Like, you flew remember? At the Water shrine? That was Windy's power."

"So, what does Water do?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well, Water, naturally gives you control over water" Kero stated matter-of-factly.

"Anything else?"

'She went this way.'

Sakura stopped.

Kero perched on Tomoyo's shoulder and shrugged. "No clue. Each element is unique. The obvious power lies in their elemental control, but there are more subtle benefits for some spirits."

"For example?"

"Well, like fire. Fire represents strength. So when Sakura absorbs the fire spirit, she'll get physically stronger too." Kero explained. "I'm sure the other spirits have some subtle abilities but-"

"But?" She drawled.

"I forgot."

Tomoyo giggled, "So, what do the other spirits represent then?"

"Well," He puffed out his chest proudly, happy that someone who understood what he was saying wanted to hear more, "wind represents agility, water is-"

Sakura stopped walking.

"Sakura, is something wrong?"

She looked at them nervously. "Did either of you hear something?"

"Nope."

"Nothing, sorry." Tomoyo frowned. 'I hope she's feeling okay.'

"I'm fine, really."

Kero looked confused momentarily. "We never said you weren't, kiddo." 'Did she hit her head when she fell last night?'

Sakura stamped her foot in defiance. "No, I didn't hit my head! I'm fine!"

"Whoa." the tiny guardian waved his arms wildly. "Hold up a sec." Then, staring hard at his Mistress, he thought, 'Can you hear me?'

"Of course I can."

Tomoyo looked confused. "Can what?"

"Hear Kero," she replied, "I'm not deaf-" It clicked all of a sudden. Kero hadn't opened his mouth to speak, but she'd heard him clearly.

"But he didn't say anything."

"Kero?" Now she was really confused. "How did I-"

He grinned.

Sakura shifted nervously. "I heard you."

"Yup." The grin broadened.

"But how?"

"Another side effect." Kero settled on her shoulder and cleared his throat. "As I was about to explain, water represents intellect. One of the abilities associated with that is clairvoyance. You know, the ability to hear and transmit thoughts? Go figure." The little guardian tapped Sakura lightly on the temple. "Clow Reed had mastered a minor telepathy using water magic. He could understand others near him or send short messages. It has a limited range of course."

'So she can hear my thoughts?'

Sakura turned to face Tomoyo, surprised to see that she hadn't in fact, said anything. "Um. Apparently I can."

The girl froze for a second, then leapt at Sakura. "That's so cool, Sakura!" She hugged her tightly. "You're turning into a real magical heroine. And on top of that, it will be so much easier to discuss magic in public now!"

"Kero?" The now-dazed girl struggled to comprehend her newfound ability. "How do I shut it off?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Clow always just seemed to concentrate before he talked to us mentally. Maybe you need to un-focus?"

"That's a lot of help." She sighed.

"Look, now's not really the time to stop and figure this out." He explained. "We need to get to the Fire Shrine sooner, rather than later. For now, just don't focus too hard on any one person. That should keep you from hearing anything you don't want to. We'll stop to rest for the night soon."

"If you say so-" Honestly, Sakura felt terrified by this new power. The regular, flying, laser beam shooting kind of magic was scary enough, but add to that hearing everyone's internal monologues? No thanks. So, just don't concentrate on any one person, right? That couldn't be too hard. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

'Why am I doing this?'

"Huh?" She jumped a little. The voice she'd just heard, it didn't sound like Kero or Tomoyo. "Did either of you hear-" And she stopped. Her friends looked back for a moment, concern written into their features. Sakura suddenly felt embarrassed. She was worrying them over what was probably nothing, right? So she waved them on. "Never mind. This is just going to take some getting used to." For the next several hours, Sakura tried very hard to focus on the ground. It didn't talk back.

'Why am I doing this?' Thought the wolf for the second time. The question had been plaguing him all day. Why had he set out to the Wind Cave in the first place? The answer popped up immediately. It was because of the rules. If he wanted the support of the clan, he had no choice. But they hadn't told him that this would happen. And they probably didn't know and didn't care. It didn't matter that he was a furry mess right now. No, all that mattered was gathering Clow's inheritance; his magic. And right now, someone else was stealing that inheritance from him. He stopped. The Wind spirit's words played again in his mind. He would never forget them:

_"…you have the gift, but you are not the one. This is not your destiny._ _Only one who is proven worthy may possess Clow's power."_

Just what was the spirit talking about? 'Not your destiny.' He snorted. 'Only one who is worthy.' Bah. This was most certainly his destiny. What was not his destiny was being stuck as a flea-ridden wolf until he could undo this ridiculous curse. Fleas. That was something he'd rather not think about.

He sniffed the ground absently, deciding to focus on the task at hand. It hardly took any concentration to find Sakura's aura. That was another odd thing. Since becoming a wolf, his senses had sharpened, but that's where the benefits stopped. He couldn't use magic in this form. Oh, he'd tried. Attempting to call lightning had done little more than make his fur tingle. Yet, for whatever reason, auras, especially hers, were easy to spot. It was pink, unusual for an aura to begin with, but it bounced too. The little trails of lingering magic felt alive, dancing with life in the wake of their master. He felt drawn to it.

He paused. Drawn to it? Her aura? Somehow the thought was unsettling. It must just be this form. The curse required him to follow her, right? So naturally it would help if he could easily sense and follow her. Right? Right. He swung his head in a nod. Of course he was right. So, why didn't he feel any more at ease?

"Alright kids, last stop before the Ruby Desert!" Kero announced brightly. He pointed to a distant trail of smoke rising over the hills.

It was much-welcomed news to the girls who had been walking for two days straight. "A town?"

"Yup! Best get a cool drink and plenty to carry too." He sniffed absently. 'A bath might not be a bad idea either.'

"Kero! I heard that." Sakura grumbled.

"Oops." He grinned sheepishly. "Haven't learned to control that yet, huh?"

This did not make Sakura feel better. Her fists curled at her sides. "Kero-"

"So, what kind of town is it?" Tomoyo asked calmly, ignorant to Sakura's building rage.

"I dunno. Last time I was here was a loooooong-" he spread his tiny arms wide as if stretching the word, "time ago."

"So how far is it to the shrine?" She continued.

"Shouldn't be more than a day's walk."

"That's not so bad."

"Assuming we can find it."

"What?" Sakura blanched. "What do you mean, assuming?"

"Well," Kero floated over to her shoulder. "The desert kinda looks the same all in all. One dune is the same as the next and the sun is hot-"

"So, it's easy to get lost." Tomoyo finished.

"Then how are we supposed to find the shrine?" She cried.

In a flash, Kero vanished into her backpack. She jumped, startled by the sudden movement. "Kero?"

"Afternoon ladies."

The deep rumbling voice made Sakura spin fast. Her heart leapt into her throat. Tomoyo just smiled at the burly man now lumbering over to them. "Hello sir."

"What are two young ladies like you doing out here on the borders? You don't look like you're from around here." He reached up to scratch at his thick black beard with an oversized hand. Compared to the girls, this man was a giant. "There's nothing out here but desert and soldiers."

Tomoyo didn't miss a beat. She simply said, "Oh, but that's why we're here. We came with the trade caravan to see the desert. Our father promised that we could make the trip this summer."

He laughed out loud, his chuckles boomed in their ears. "To see the desert? How boring! Kids these days! Imagine, you actually wanted to see the-" He slapped his chest hard. "the desert!"

"Is there something wrong with wanting to see the desert? We've never seen one before." The dark-haired girl asked sweetly.

He stifled his laughed quickly. "Sorry girls, it's just that the Ruby here," he gestured backwards, "is just a big sandbox. It's no place for young ladies."

"So what are you doing here?" Sakura whispered, finally locating her voice. Her green eyes twinkled with innocence.

"She does speak, eh?" He smiled. Leaning down onto one knee, he lowered his voice. "Right now, we're on the very edge of Tomoeda's lands. The desert is vast, and this is one of the only trading posts along this side. It's a precious stop for everyone traveling along the Ruby. But right now, the rumors are flying and people are scared. Scared people do stupid things. That's why I'm here."

"Rumors?" The girls replied in turn.

"War."

He paused, letting the words hang in the thick silence.

"Now, there's no need for the two of you to worry." The man stated matter-of-factly. "You just go see the desert and turn right back around and go home with the next caravan going that way. Don't stay longer than you need to, and don't stop to talk to strangers."

They nodded dumbly.

"Not all of 'em are as nice as me." He pulled back the lapel of his jacket, revealing a shiny, silver metal badge. Smiling, he waved a hand at them. "Go on, you should go see your desert now before the sun goes down. Just be careful."

Sakura stared blankly.

"Thank you, sir." Tomoyo tugged gently at her friend's hand. "Let's go, sis. We've come this far and we need to hurry." Reluctantly, she let herself be pulled toward the town.

Coming upon the town square, it was clear that things weren't quite right here. People looked around too much. They looked nervous and hurried, as though they were scared mice watching for a hungry tomcat. Sakura still seemed dazed, so she pulled her along until they pulled away from the crowds of the square.

"That was close." Sakura mumbled quietly.

Tomoyo nodded. "It was nice of him to tell us all that. We were lucky that he was an officer."

"Yeah, that could have been a lot worse. I didn't recognize his uniform though."

"It's the uniform of the royal military's middle ranking officers. I've seen them in the city before. It must be serious if they've been called in." Tomoyo frowned.

"I heard something he was thinking." Sakura leaned closer, looking nervous. "He was thinking. It won't be long before they come here too."

"Who's they?"

"I don't know. But he sounded afraid."

"Of course he is." Kero's voice sounded from within the backpack. "I thought this might happen."

"Shh." Sakura nudged the bag with her elbow. "What might happen?"

"I'll tell you later. For now, get your supplies and let's get out of here."

Tomoyo stepped forward. "He's right. I don't like the paranoid look on the faces here. Let's hurry."

"Okay."

After an hour of shopping, the girls slipped out into the desert. It was just like the officer said, a big sandbox. The sun was still blazing, even as it sank behind the horizon. The sands whipped at their faces and stung their skin. Kero wisely remained in the backpack until the sun finally dipped out of view.

"We've been walking all night! Where is this thing?" Sakura whined. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

Kero frowned. "It shouldn't be far from here. Can you sense anything?"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. But nothing reacted. "All I sense is the terrible sunburn I'm getting."

"Hmm."

"What's wrong, Kero?" asked Tomoyo.

"I could have sworn that the Fire Shrine was right here. At least, it should be." He put a paw to his chin. "But this isn't right."

"What isn't?"

"There should be something here, ruins at least. The Fire Shrine used to be a temple, carved into the desert rocks." He scanned the line of empty dunes. "We're either totally lost or-"

"Or?" Sakura started, but then she felt something odd.

It started as a tingling on the back of her neck, but then it spread. In a matter of seconds, her whole body felt like it was burning. "Hot-" She gasped.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo grabbed her by the shoulders. "What's wrong."

She clenched her eyes shut, and raised a finger to point off into the distance. "There." She hissed.

Kero took a protective stance in front of his Mistress. "It's coming."

Tomoyo looked up in time to see the flaming inferno racing towards them. It spun and twisted with unearthly heat. The flames contorted into an evil smile and from them a winged girl's figure appeared. She sneered at the group.

"What does it want?" Tomoyo cried.

The spirit pointed at Sakura.

"It wants to fight her. It's a challenge." Kero translated.

"Challenge Sakura? But why?"

"Firey is a powerful spirit. It won't accept a Master who can't beat it in a fight." He explained quickly. "Whoa!"

The group scattered as a fireball charred the ground where they'd been standing. "Fine, I'll fight!" Sakura yelled, breaking into a run. The spirit grinned. The challenge was issued and accepted. It followed Sakura from a distance launching haphazard fireballs in her general direction.

"How am I supposed to fight something made of fire!" Sakura yelled.

"You've got to use magic, kid!"

"But I still don't know how!" She whined, barely dodging another fireball.

"Remember how you flew? Just focus and the magic will come to you!" He shouted.

Sakura tried to concentrate while running. Another blast nearly caught her. "I can't focus when I'm running for my life!"

"You've got to fight back!"

Why did it always come down to fighting. "Agh!" A fireball singed her leg.

The spirit hovered over her, amused.

That prideful expression was infuriating. Sakura clenched her fists. "I hate fighting!" The wind suddenly gushed around her, forcing the spirit back. "What was that?"

"Magic kid!" Kero cheered. "Keep it up!"

She nodded. Now if she could only do that again. Gritting her teeth, she concentrated. The wind stilled, but only for a split second. Sakura burst into the air. "All right!" WIth a whoosh, she flew towards the spirit.

"Kero, Firey doesn't look worried. It's like it knows something." Tomoyo asked, a tremble in her voice.

Kero frowned. "Of course! Wind will only fan the flames! Sak-"

Before he could warn her, Sakura attacked with a blade of wind. It slammed into Firey's body, but didn't cut. Instead, its body burned brighter and the flames joined back together, bigger than before. She held up her arms to shield herself from the heat.

The guardian beast watched the fire spirit swell up as if breathing deeply. "Sakura! Get out of the way!"

Firey exploded. A nova of fire pulsed outward, knocking Sakura to the sands below. She hit with a soft thud before tumbling down the dune. She didn't get up.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo shrieked.

Kero watched the spirit warily. A hazy glow emanated from its body as it reformed its shape. The shape became a body; the body raised an arm. Sparks flickered and ignited into a blazing sphere at the tip of its finger. Panic welled in the pit of his stomach. Time slowed to a crawl as he watched the flames leave the spirit and fly towards his fallen Mistress. "Sakura!"

'Idiot!'

"Wha-" Sakura stirred. She managed to turn her head just in time to see the inferno heading straight for her. Her brain said move, but her body wouldn't cooperate. It was happening too fast! She was going to be roasted alive! In panic, she squeezed her eyes shut tight.

There was a sudden, urgent tug at her collar. Then, a sense of weightlessness. She blinked. The ground was speeding by under her. A familiar shadow coasted along the dune in tandem with her own. After a second that felt like an eternity, the wolf dropped her unceremoniously on the sand.

"Ow! That hurt!" Sakura yelped.

The wolf growled. 'Above!'

She didn't even need to look. Rolling to the side, she had a clear view of the wolf leaping gracefully away. He turned to her. 'How did she dodge? Did she actually sense it coming?'

Ignoring the wolf for the moment, Sakura focused on the fire spirit. It didn't look happy. "Okay, so wind doesn't work. It just makes the fire hotter."

'Of course it does. If you want to fight fire, you need water. Idiot.'

That voice again. And again, the wolf stared at her. It had to be her imagination. Honestly this whole mess was like something out of a dream-

A dream.

Firey glowed with wrath, upset that its attacks kept missing. And it didn't like that wolf much either. If he hadn't interfered, the girl would've been toast already. It was time to get serious. Time to get rid of this little girl and her furry companion. With a soundless howl, the spirit erupted in flames. The sand beneath it melted into glass.

"Think, think, what was it-" Sakura mumbled.

'Don't think, run!' Came the strange voice.

It was quickly echoed by Kero and Tomoyo's yell. "Run Sakura!"

She blinked hard and spun around. The wolf was already running away fast. Kero and Tomoyo were still yelling from their position. She heard it before she saw it. A roar erupted nearby. A familiar roar. One she'd heard, but couldn't quite place. The flames grew and writhed; they twisted to reveal the spirit, wings blazing. Time ground to a halt as memories locked into place. The inferno erupted, lashing directly for the teen. Suddenly, Sakura knew what to do.

She closed her eyes.

The flames rolled over her in waves.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo cried.

A wolf howled.

The smoke cleared.

And Sakura stepped forward, unscathed.

"Sakura!"

The fire spirit screamed in fury. It barreled towards Sakura, launching fireballs as it went, but they sizzled and dissolved harmlessly as if they were hitting an invisible shield.

"It's just like my dream." She whispered. "The water is keeping me from getting burned." Magic and adrenaline surged through her. Now she could win! But first-

She extended her right hand and the hazy shield bubbled. From her palm, a spear of water shot out. It wiggled and oozed until it was vaguely sword-shaped. Sakura flicked her wrist and it solidified into ice. She was impressed. Even in the desert heat, the sword wasn't melting. And odder still, it didn't feel cold in her hand.

Raising the sword high, she charged. Her feet barely touched the sand as she ran, fueled by the swell of magic energy. Seeing this, the fire spirit panicked. It hurtled fireball after fireball at the girl to no avail. Volley after volley fizzled out, leaving Sakura mere feet from the spirit. In one final burst, she leapt into the air, high over the spirit. She brought the sword down in front of her. "Haaaaa!"

In one stroke, the fire spirit was cut in two. The pieces flared and turned to ash, falling like black snow onto the desert sand. Sakura landed lightly. Her sword and shield dissipated. Almost instinctively, she reached down into the ashes and pulled up a card. The fire spirit's slumbering image looked back at her. She turned towards her friends and held up the card proudly. "I did it." She smiled.

The card vanished.

Sakura went pale and slumped to the ground in a heap.

"Sakura?"

"Kid!"

The two friends rushed to her side. "Is she okay?" Tomoyo asked, dropping to her knees.

Kero didn't reply.

Tomoyo put a trembling hand to her friend's forehead, then leaned down to listen for a heartbeat. "Her breathing is shallow, but steady."

The guardian remained silent.

Tomoyo's suspicion grew. "Kero, you know something and you're not telling me."

"Well," he landed on the ground next to his Mistress. "It's probably because she used the water spirit's power. See, water is a powerful element, and normally you could draw it from the air but-"

"But?"

"But we're in the desert. There's not a lot of water anywhere. So she probably had to draw it out from her own body." He slumped his shoulders sheepishly.

"No wonder she passed out! She's dehydrated!" Tomoyo pulled a canteen from her bag and dribbled the contents into Sakura's mouth. Thankfully, the color returned to her face quickly. Tomoyo let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It was all right now. Sakura was all right. She was going to be okay.

"Y'know, I can't help but wonder about that wolf." Kero said suddenly.

Tomoyo pulled a handkerchief from her pack and soaked it with water before responding. "What makes you say that?"

"He's staring at us."

"He?"

"He's a he all right. Some things guardians just know."

"I'll take your word for it." She slowly looked around. Sure enough, there he was. The big brown wolf stared at them from a few hundred yards away. It was definitely the same wolf from the water shrine. Their eyes met for a split second. Then, he bolted, disappearing beyond the next sand dune. "Well, he's gone now."

"I wonder why he keeps runnin' off like that?" Kero asked.

Tomoyo dabbed Sakura's forehead with the damp cloth. "Hmm. I wonder."

**A/N:** That's it for Chapter 3. As always, thank you for your patience. My computer was out of commission for almost two months and I didn't have many opportunities to write. It's back now, so I hope to update faster from now on. Please read and review. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 04: The Earthy

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 4: The Earthy**

Atop a tower, something moved. The full moon illuminated the silhouette of a person holding a sword. The scene felt oddly familiar. Ignoring the sensation, Sakura stared dazedly. Her feet left the ground. It was the magic of the Wind spirit, she noticed. Gliding gently towards the figure on the tower, she wore the same strange outfit from before. Its long billowing skirt flowed around her.

She kept on flying, drawing closer to the shadowed figure. The question lingered silently in the air. Who are you? The man only smiled. He extended an arm. Her own reached out for his, unbidden. She could see him more clearly now. Amber eyes glistened in the moonlight among the shadows. Floating closer still, their fingers nearly touched - but only nearly. The magic faded and she fell. Fast. The hazy feeling around her gave way to sheer terror as her stomach lurched. Sakura looked up. The man was on his knees, shouting to her, amber eyes filled with emotion. "Sakura!"

"Sakura!" Tomoyo grabbed her friend's hand roughly and squeezed. "Sakura, are you okay?"

"Huh?" she glanced around, seeing only desert and the lean-to that she was sitting under. "What happened?"

"We should be asking you the same thing, kiddo." Kero floated over, looking concerned. "You passed out after fighting Fiery."

"Ah." She lowered her head. "I remember fighting it and then, I kind of blanked out. It's all a little fuzzy. I remember getting tired."

"That's because you used up too much energy." Kero supplied. "Magic is kinda like blood. If you give up too much of it, you pass out. Since your magic is strong, it didn't take you long to recover, but still-"

Realization dawned on her. The sun was already sinking below the horizon. "Oh no, I was out all day! Why didn't you guys wake me up?" She exclaimed.

"Relax, kiddo. We couldn't."

Tomoyo nodded. "We tried, but you just kept mumbling in your sleep and you wouldn't wake up."

"Did I say anything?" The dream, fuzzy and yet clear at the same time, hung in her mind.

"Not really."

Kero put a paw to his chin. "Do you remember your dream, Sakura?"

How did he know? "Yes, but how-"

"Dreams are a very important thing to a magic user. They can tell you all kinds of things, warnings about upcoming dangers, people you'll meet, places you'll go, and stuff like that." The tiny guardian explained. "So, what you dreamed about might be something that could help you out in the future."

"Really?" She felt skeptical. How could her dream tell the future?

Tomoyo decided the direct approach was needed. "So, what did you dream about?"

"Uh, um." Sakura looked nervously down at her hands. "Well,"

Kero and Tomoyo stared expectantly.

Sakura blushed. "Well, I was standing on top of this building and there was another person there. He had a sword and," she thought for a moment. Eyes burned in her memory. "and, he had these deep, rich brown eyes. I remember seeing him there, and then falling?"

"Hmm." Kero mumbled something to himself. "Not sure what to tell you there."

"Sounds romantic." Tomoyo cooed.

She leaned back, blushing bright red. "Tomoyo."

"What? It sounds like something out of a story. Girl flies to boy on rooftop to confess her love."

"Hoe?" Sakura wailed. "It wasn't a love confession. And what does the falling part mean?"

"Could mean anything really, but it's likely that you could meet the person in your dream. Or end up at the place you saw. Then again, it could be symbolic. Hard to say." Kero replied plainly. "But for now, just keep track of your dreams, and let us know if you see something important. Okay?" He patted her gently on the back. "In the meantime, let's get out of this sandbox!"

Fujitaka poured through yet another ancient text. It felt like there was something missing in every book he read. The creak of the library's large door snapped him from his studies. "Eriol." He smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Such dedication, Fujitaka, I have never seen among even my graduate students." The younger man chuckled.

"Please, sit."

Eriol shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't have time to sit and chat. However, I did come across something interesting and I thought you should take a look at it." He pulled a thin, neatly bound object from under his arm and handed it to Fujitaka.

"What is-" he started. Then, like a frenzied child with a present, he unwrapped the parcel and gawked at its contents. "Eriol! This is amazing! This is-" He could barely contain himself. "This is an original volume penned by Clow himself!"

"Is it?" Eriol smiled. "Maybe it will be helpful to solving your mystery?"

"Where did you find such a thing?"

"I have my ways." He replied dryly. "But sometimes, I'm just lucky."

"I'm not even sure the royal family has anything like this!" He quickly sat at the table and started reading. Skimming through the first few pages, Fujitaka could scarcely believe his luck. A book written by Clow himself! Imagine what information might be housed in its pages? Too many times had he looked up the Clow legend to find only an ancestry book or a children's tale leading nowhere. "This is fantastic! Clow was a seer, so he should have written something about his predictions here."

Eriol didn't want to interrupt the reverie, but certain matters needed attention. "Fujitaka, old friend, things have gotten worse on the outside."

He frowned. "How bad is it?"

"It will be all out war within the month." Eriol turned away. "But there is hope. As long as that exists, I'm sure it will be all right."

"That's rather philosophical of you," he closed the book momentarily, "but do you really believe it?"

"Of course I do. You have said the same of your own daughter many times, right?" Eriol titled his head and gave an enigmatic smile. "Yet, there are some things that we can do directly, ne?"

"Well, I hope so." He sighed. "It seems like I haven't been making much progress lately."

"You will." Eriol stated. "And now I must go."

"But where are you going? You said yourself that it's getting worse."

He smiled again, "I am going to do what I can. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Eriol-" Fujitaka started.

"Hmm?"

"Take care."

Eriol swung the door open slightly. "Don't forget, you are my personal guest and you have access to any book you may need. Stay safe."

"You too. Be safe."

Fujitaka resumed his reading. Eriol was a strange young man. On the surface, he looked twenty, but he acted much older and exceptionally wise. Their first meeting had been so sudden. Eriol just appeared at the site one day and introduced himself, saying he was interested in Fujitaka's work. They had become friends quickly and the invitation to the university followed. He was an enigma, but somehow, Fujitaka knew he could trust Eriol. He was certain that they would meet again. With that thought, he turned the page.

On the other side of the heavy wooden door, Eriol breathed deeply. "All of the pieces are now in place." He pulled a metallic sun-shaped talisman from his front pocket and held it in front of him. "Now, I must play my part." In a flash of light, he vanished.

"It's terrible!" Sakura gasped.

Tomoyo clung to her friend. "What a mess."

It was hard to believe that just a day ago, this place had been a thriving village. Now, it was nothing but ashes. The stench in the air made them pinch their noses. "I wonder what happened?" Tomoyo mused.

"This is horrible. They totally destroyed this place." Kero spat.

"Do you think that the people-"

"I wouldn't finish that thought, kiddo."

Sakura stared off into the distance. Who would do such a thing?

Kero landed on Tomoyo's shoulder. "I don't like it. It's too quiet."

'Over there!'

Sakura turned just in time to see three men in deep blue uniforms racing towards them. Their uniforms weren't the familiar blue of Tomoeda, and they were drawing something from their backs - guns! "Run!" she yelled. Grabbing Tomoyo's hand, she ran as fast as her feet would carry her. Her heart pounded in her ears.

There was a sharp, piercing sound and Sakura cringed as the ground split near her feet. "Hurry!" she pulled Tomoyo along, breathing hard. Another shot hit the ground ahead of them. All of a sudden, Tomoyo's hand slipped free of her grasp. The dark-haired girl tumbled to the ground. "Tomoyo!" She skidded to a stop.

"Don't move." A gruff man's voice rang out.

Another laughed. "Next time, we won't miss. We wouldn't want to dirty such pretty clothes with blood."

They froze. Three big men in uniform approached them, guns poised to shoot. Sakura trembled when she heard their thoughts.

'What are a couple of girls doing here?'

'I thought the town was cleared out.'

'They're cute.'

'Can't be more than twenty.'

'Wonder if they're any good in bed?'

At that, Sakura's stomach lurched. 'Help!' she thought desperately. 'Please, somebody!' Her plea went unanswered as she was hoisted to her feet by her collar.

"She's a pretty one."

"I prefer the dark-haired one. Can I keep her?" Sakura lifted her head in time to see Tomoyo pulled to her feet by a tall blond man.

"Now, now, Akira, patience." Said the third man. He had more bars on his uniform and seemed to be in charge.

The blond chuckled. "Yeah, it's not like they're going anywhere, right?" He pulled Tomoyo close. She visibly shivered. "Aw, come on honey, don't you like me?" He laughed.

The man holding Sakura ran a hand along her cheek. "Who would've thought these beauties would just show up, huh? Lucky us."

"Let me go!" she yelped.

The men went quiet, then broke into loud laughter. "My, my, this one has some fight in her."

The leader's gun pressed against Sakura's head. "Now, now, it's better if you just calm down and don't fight. Then, we won't have to kill you."

She whimpered, shaking uncontrollably.

"Ishida!" He waved the gun away from her head as he gestured to the man holding her. "You can have your fun with her later. I get her first."

"Aw, boss, you get to have all the fun!"

He took hold of Sakura's arm as Ishida let go. "Rank privileges." He said calmly. "You two can do whatever you want with the other one."

Sakura watched in horror as the second man, Ishida, approached Tomoyo. His thoughts were loud and frightening. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried to block them out. 'Help!' A flash of green danced across her eyelids. 'What was that?' Tentatively, Sakura opened her eyes. Her heart jumped when she saw him.

At the edge of the desert, the silhouette of a wolf stood out against the horizon.

"Hey sweetheart." The leader slipped around Sakura, holding her from behind. "Why don't we go have some fun right now?" His rough hand slid up her side, breaking her concentration. She struggled in his grasp. He squeezed harder.

"What've we got here?" Ishida moved away from Tomoyo to survey their bags. "Let's see." He turned Sakura's bag over and shook it. Food, clothes, and their other belongings tumbled out onto the ground. Kero bounced out among them. He gave his best stuffed animal impression while Ishida eyed him critically. "What're you? A stuffed animal?" He picked Kero up by the tail. "How old are these girls to still be carrying stuffed animals around?"

"I'll bet you're still a virgin, eh?" Akira kissed Tomoyo's cheek. She cringed, willing his greasy blond hair to stay out of her face.

Sakura scanned the landscape a second time, but the wolf was no where to be seen. Terror crept into her heart. He wasn't coming. No one would save them. What would these men do to them?

"What a strange little toy. Look," He pried open Kero's mouth. "It's even got little teeth!"

Kero sank his teeth into the Ishida's hand.

"Ouch! Why you little-"

'Now!' The wolf's voice boomed in Sakura's head.

In one swift movement, the wolf barreled into Akira. Tomoyo scurried to her feet and turned to face her. Eyes wide, she waited, unwilling to just leave her friend.

"Run Tomoyo!" Sakura called.

She hesitated, but eventually complied.

"Don't just stand there!" The leader commanded, holding Sakura tighter. "It's just a stupid beast. Shoot it!"

"Oh no you don't!" Kero circled around Ishida, snapping and biting at anything he could get to. "Take that!" He chomped on the hand reaching for the gun. "And that!" He kicked. "And this is for calling me a stuffed animal!" Kero's teeth slammed down on his nose.

"Aaaaagh!"

The wolf padded cautiously around Akira. He had managed to draw his gun. "All right, you crazy wolf. I don't know where you came from, but this is it for you." The gun clicked. "You're gonna make a nice rug in front of my fireplace."

"Would you quit making conversation with it and shoot it already?" The leader's sharp tones stung Sakura's ears.

"Leave him alone!" She cried.

He slid his hand higher, resting it against her chest. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself." He squeezed.

Sakura screamed.

The wolf turned.

Akira's gun fired.

In slow motion, Sakura watched helplessly as the shot pierced the wolf in the side. His eyes fell shut and he toppled to the ground. She tried to ignore the man's hand while she searched for some sign of life from the wolf. He wasn't moving. No. He couldn't be. He was trying to save her! How dare they do this to him!

"How dare you." She whispered.

Anger burned inside her. Kero stopped for a split second to eye his mistress carefully. The magic was swelling up around her, just like in the desert. He could feel it. Sure enough, the tattoo on her arm glowed a vibrant red.

"Mangy mutt." Akira spat. He readied his gun for another shot.

"I won't-" Sakura mumbled, slightly louder. The burning feeling kept growing. Her hands trembled.

"What's that sweetie? You like it?" The leader said seductively.

Her hand caught his arm. "I won't let you."

"Oooh, brave now are we? We'll fix that."

"No." Sakura pulled and sent the man flying in front of her. She didn't even care how she'd done it. A friend lay injured. He would pay. Angry, she faced Akira. "Leave him alone!" She charged.

Akira watched her in shock. Mentally, he took into account the strange things he'd seen today. First, he'd been attacked by a wolf. Then, his friend was bitten by a stuffed animal. Now, his commanding officer was lying on the ground in pain after being thrown by a young girl. Either he was dreaming or-

He didn't get to finish the thought. Sakura slammed into him, grabbed his leg, and swung him into the air, tossing him effortlessly into a heap with his boss. She turned to the wolf. Kneeling down, she could see that his breathing was labored and his side was a matted bloody mess. A gun clicked next to her ear.

"I don't know what you are, girl, but I ain't afraid of you." It was the leader.

"Sakura. No!" Tomoyo gasped from behind some nearby shrubs. She froze as she watched Sakura face the man. Her eyes practically glowed. Sakura mumbled something that Tomoyo couldn't quite make out. Then, she grasped the gun in her hand. It turned cherry red.

"Damn it!" He dropped the gun.

"Leave." Sakura commanded.

"What the hell was that? Some kind of trick?" The leader, still trying to cool his hand, shouted. "Never mind the beast, shoot the girl!"

Akira managed to stand, while Ishida finally batted Kero away. Both men drew their weapons and trained them on Sakura. They eyed their boss warily.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot her!"

Calmly, Sakura raised her hand. The word came to her lips without thought. "Firey."

A ball of flame formed at her fingertips and flew lightning fast at the two men. They barely had time to dive out of the way before the fireball charred the ground where they'd been. The dirt smoked and sizzled. Akira managed to find his voice first. "She's a witch!"

"I'm outta here!" Ishida scrambled to his feet and ran.

"This isn't worth it!"

"Cowards!" The leader yelled. "You'll pay for deserting-" He stopped suddenly.

Sakura's hand rested on his temple. "Leave."

He hesitated. If he ran, he was a coward, but no one was here to see him run either. Therefore, he could tell the men that he'd killed the girl. Yes, that would work. His feet were already on board with that plan. He jumped up and ran.

"Whoohoo!" Kero cheered. "Way to go kiddo!" He flew over to her shoulder.

Tomoyo dashed to Sakura's side. "Are you okay?"

She blinked. "I just, I don't know what happened. I was so angry about when the wolf was shot-" She paled. "Kero, Tomoyo, he was shot! What do I do?" Tears welled up in her emerald eyes and trailed down her reddened cheeks. "He saved my life. I have to help him!"

Kero sighed. "Well-"

"Kero, please." Tomoyo said softly.

"All right, all right." He floated to the ground. "There is a way to heal it with magic, all right? But, I don't know if Sakura is ready to do this."

"Please?" Sakura whispered. "I'll do it. I- I've been getting better at this magic thing."

The guardian tried to look stern. "You've got to do exactly as I say, okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay, we'll give this a try then. But, Sakura?" He tapped her gently. "You've got to promise me you will keep going, even if this doesn't work."

Sakura blinked and wiped her tears. This would work. Everything was going to be all right. "I promise. I'm sure I'll be all right."

"Let's begin." Kero said. "You'll need to use Watery. Water is a healing element. You need to concentrate, so close your eyes and put your hands over the wound."

Following Kero's instructions, Sakura placed her hands on the wolf's side. The wolf growled, but did not move. She closed her eyes.

"Good. Now, take a deep breath. Think about the flow of water. Picture it flowing from your hands." Kero watched her carefully and waited for her to nod. "Now, control the flow. Envision your magic welling up inside you and flowing through your arms, into your hands, and into the wound."

Kero's voice slowly faded away. All Sakura could hear was her own heart beating. The anger from before had disappeared. Now, all she could feel was coolness, utter calm. From the blankness that surrounded her, another voice whispered to her. 'Imagine your magic is like icy water. Cool the wound. Yes, that's good.' The voice grew stronger as she complied. 'Find the parts that don't feel right, like they shouldn't be there. That's the bullet. Yes-' The voice hissed as if in pain. Sakura cringed. 'That's it. Now flush it out with your magic. Carefully.'

"Kero, what's going on?" Tomoyo asked gently.

He watched his mistress move in a daze. Her eyes were open now, but there was no spark in them. "I don't know. I stopped giving her instructions a few minutes ago, but-"

"But?"

"But she's doing it right. It's like she's known how to do this spell all her life." He replied. "I expected that she'd pick up on the magic quickly, but this is something else." Even more impressive, Kero mused, was the way that her aura wound into the wolf's. Something nagged at the back of his mind. Something important. But what-

"Kero! Look!" Tomoyo interrupted his thoughts.

"What?"

Sakura's hands glowed pink.

'Close it there. Stitch the skin back together with your energy. Good.'

'Who are you?' She finally managed.

'Syaoran.'

"Syaoran?" Her eyes flashed open.

The wolf bolted to his feet. 'How do you know my name?'

"Whoa!" Kero shouted, getting between his mistress and the wolf. "Hang on fuzzy! She just saved your life! You leave her alone!"

Sakura blinked. Her head felt funny. "Tired." She mumbled.

"Sakura?" Kero called.

Tomoyo saw her wobble and ran to her.

'Syaoran.' Her eyes slipped closed and she collapsed. Voices echoed in the haze.

Some time later, Sakura stirred. She felt so tired.

"She's waking up, look!"

"Sakura!"

'Finally.'

Wait, that last voice wasn't Kero or Tomoyo. Sakura struggled to open her eyes. Harsh light made her shut them fast. Blinking hard, she took in the scenery around her. Tomoyo leaned over her with Kero on her shoulder. It was daytime, though by the looks of it, not for much longer. They were still in the clearing near the edge of the desert. Her heart skipped a beat. He stayed! About fifty yards away sat the wolf, flicking his tail back and forth impatiently.

"Sakura! How do you feel? Are you okay? Kero says you drained your magic again and-"

"Ouch, too loud." She grunted, sitting up.

The wolf turned away. "Wait! Don't go!"

Syaoran forced himself to ignore her.

She stared at him. His name surfaced easily. "Syaoran?"

'How does she know my name?' He growled, returning her stare.

She scrunched her brow. 'I think you told me.'

'What? How?'

'I can hear thoughts. That is- um- well I have magic so- My magic lets me talk to you.'

He panicked, spun, and then yelped in pain.

Sakura got to her feet quickly. "You're still hurt."

"Don't worry so much, kiddo." Kero jumped in. "You did an amazing job with that healing magic. No matter how powerful the spell, everything takes time to heal fully. It'll take a few days, but he'll be good as new then."

The wolf stared at her. 'You healed me?' Why had it not occurred to him? She was the only one capable of doing it and he distinctly remembered being shot. Great. The last thing he wanted was to be indebted to her. Now the girl could hear his thoughts, she knew his name, and she had saved his life. He grunted.

"Um, I guess I did." She looked down, suddenly incredibly interested in the fidgeting of her fingers.

The question was, how? How had she learned the healing arts? Maybe the stuffed animal? Yeah, that had to be it. But why? And more importantly, why did she trust him especially after how he'd treated her? This girl didn't make any sense. Syaoran tilted his head to the side. 'I suppose I should- well- thank you.'

"No! I should thank you!" She blurted out. "You saved my life, at the lake and then again at the Fire Shrine, and just now." Smiling, she continued. "You've been looking out for me this whole time. Thank you."

'I- no- that's not-' His thoughts jumbled together. 'I have to get out of here.'

"Wait!" Sakura cried. "Please don't leave."

No response.

"Please, Syaoran?"

Her sad emerald eyes and forlorn face tugged at something inside him. His ears drooped. Regardless of how, he was stuck like this until he solved the spirit's riddle. She said to follow the girl, right? It would be easier if he didn't have to slink in the shadows? And she could speak to him, so maybe she knew how to break the curse? What harm could it do?

'Fine.'

"Thank you!" She smiled the brightest smile he'd ever seen.

'It's- it's just for now. While I'm still healing. Got it?' He bit back with heated cheeks. For once, he was grateful for the fur.

She nodded.

"Are you sure about this kiddo? I mean, he's a wolf." Kero reasoned.

'And he's a stuffed animal.'

Sakura giggled at the mental remark. "Syaoran is all right. Right?" She beamed at him.

Tomoyo just smiled. "I think we can trust him. After all, Sakura trusts him. Isn't that enough?"

"Well, okay." Kero conceded. "But I'm watching you fido!"

Syaoran snorted. 'Stuffed animal.'

"Hey!" Kero twitched. "That wolf just snorted at me. He's makin' fun of me! He said something bad, I just know it! Sakura!"

"Hoeeee."

Tomoyo gathered their belongings, casually observing the way the wolf stared at her best friend. "Interesting. Very interesting."

After three days of traveling and a lot of weaving around and away from towns and soldiers, the group set up camp. A great mountain loomed over them. "So that's it huh?" Tomoyo eyed the craggy path carefully. "And the shrine's at the top?"

"Yup." Kero replied, stuffing a toasted piece of fish into his mouth. "Mmmmm."

"Will I-" Sakura stared at her untouched dinner.

"Mphm?" Kero mumbled.

Tomoyo frowned. "What's wrong?"

"WIll I have to fight it? Like with Fiery? Like with those men?"

"Sakura."

'Are you afraid to fight?' She felt the growl in his thought. 'You're going to have to, you know. If you don't, people worse than those men will kill you.'

"No!" She jumped to her feet, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No? Sakura?" Tomoyo turned from her friend to the wolf. "What did you say? Why are you hurting Sakura?"

Syaoran suddenly felt guilty, but he covered it up with a snort. 'It's true. I'm just telling the truth.'

"What'd he say?" The tiny guardian yelled. "I knew he was bad news! Stupid dog!"

'Stuffed animal.'

"Don't fight." Sakura sniffled. "Please?"

Instantly they turned away from each other. Kero folded his arms. "Fine, but only because Sakura asked."

The mood turned cold. Syaoran curled up on the far side of the fire. Eventually, Tomoyo and Kero went to bed, leaving Sakura to her thoughts. She looked from the fire to the uneaten fish next to her to the wolf. She took a deep breath and scooped up the fish.

'Here. Are you hungry?' She stepped beside Syaoran, holding the fish out in front of her.

'Are you talking to me?'

'Um, yes?' She started to feel incredibly stupid, but pressed on. 'My lips aren't moving, so I must be talking to you, right?'

Syaoran lifted his head and came face to face with a long-cooled cooked fish. He blinked.

Sakura giggled. 'Here, you should have it. You must be hungry.'

He hesitated. 'I'm not going to give it back, you know.'

'That's okay, I wasn't going to-'

'And don't think this means that I'm going to be all nice from now on.' He interrupted her thoughts.

'I didn't think-'

'Don't come running to me when you're hungry later because you gave this to me.'

'Syaoran?'

'What?'

'Just eat the fish, okay?' Sakura smiled, watching him take the fish and gobble it down quickly. She took a seat on the grass next to him. He glanced at her, but said nothing.

An uncomfortable silence settled in.

'Syaoran?'

No response.

'I wanted to say thank you.'

He sighed. 'You already said that. Forget about it.'

She picked up a nearby stick and scribbled in the sand. 'But I really mean it. If you hadn't been there, I would have been killed. And-' The scribbling stopped. 'I'm sorry I got upset earlier. You're right, I have to fight, no matter how much I don't want to.'

A pang of guilt struck Syaoran. His ears drooped. 'It's just- it's a dangerous world out there. There are a lot of people who want the power that you wield.'

'Oh.' She frowned, scribbling again. 'You know, I felt like a stranger in my own body today. It was scary, like I was running on autopilot. First with those men, then the healing spell? It's like I just watched myself from somewhere else.'

He smelled tears before he saw them fall.

'I'm sorry, Syaoran. I'm just- what if I have to fight and I lose myself again? What if I stay that way? What if-' She tried to wipe her eyes.

He hated seeing her cry. Something about it ripped into his soul. 'Don't cry.'

'I'm sorry.'

'And don't apologize.' He waited for her to settle down. 'I understand what it's like to feel like a stranger in your own body. I-' he paused, unsure just how much he should reveal. 'I used to be human.'

'What?' Sakura gasped mentally. 'What happened?'

'It's a curse. I don't know how it happened or why. All I know is my name and that I have to find the spirits.' He lied. Hopefully, she was as gullible as she looked.

'That's terrible! You don't remember anything? How sad!'

Yep. As gullible as she looked.

'So, you don't know how to break the curse?' She asked.

'No idea.'

Sakura was quiet for several minutes, then she stood up. "We've got a long day ahead of us, I'm going to go to bed." She spoke aloud.

Syaoran watched her go, curious why she'd dropped the subject.

'I'll help you.'

'Help with what?' he tilted his head at the question.

Without turning around, she answered. 'Kero says that my magic is getting stronger, so I may not be much help now, but I'll figure out how to break your curse.'

'Why?'

'Because you're my friend. Friends help each other. Good night, Syaoran.'

He returned to his spot near the fire and observed Clow's chosen as she curled up and eventually fell asleep. Her aura flowed gently around her, warm and pink. 'Friends huh?' He mused. For the first time since he'd become a wolf, he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The steep slope made it hard for Tomoyo to find her footing. She was wishing she'd packed better shoes for this. Sadly, hiking boots are not very fashionable and didn't made the cut. The lack of hiking apparel didn't affect Sakura though. She moved as though the terrain were flat. Now she plunged far enough ahead that she was almost out of sight. "Wait up, Sakura!" Tomoyo called. She slowed her pace a little while Kero floated back to Tomoyo's side.

"Bit of a rough climb, huh?"

"Yes." She knocked some rubble loose with her foot before pressing forward. "Sakura doesn't seem to be having a hard time with it. I'm afraid I'm not as athletic as she is."

"Hmm, could be that Sakura has a bit of an edge." He mused. "The wolf keeps up because he's naturally made for this kind of thing. But as for Sakura, I think it's Firey's doing."

"Firey?"

Kero nodded. "Yup. Remember how I told you that Firey's feature is strength? I think Sakura is tapping into that power without realizing it." If he concentrated, he could feel the waves of energy emanating from his Mistress.

Tomoyo finally made it to a level spot and stopped to take a breath. "So, why wasn't she strong enough to break free of those men before?"

The guardian opened his eyes. "That's because she didn't know how to tap into the power." Seeing her confusion, he explained. "When she used Firey the last time, she learned how to harness that energy, whether she's conscious of it or not. It seems to be the case with all of her abilities. Ever since she used Watery at the Fire Shrine, she's been able to control her telepathy. When I saw how easily she communicated with that fleabag, I knew she'd learned to control it."

She put a finger to her chin for a moment. "So, whenever Sakura uses one of the spirits, she gains mastery over it?"

"Not quite. It takes time to really master the spirits, but every time she uses one, she gets significantly stronger. But-" He paused.

"But?"

"But there's a risk to using the spirits too." Kero frowned. "The spirits are very powerful and it takes a powerful person to control them. Firey is a good example. The last time Sakura used it, the power was uncontrolled. Firey took over for a few minutes."

Tomoyo hesitated. "But Sakura regained control, didn't she?"

"She did, but Firey's not even the strongest of the spirits. If a more powerful one completely controls her, it could hurt her."

"Hey slowpokes!" Sakura called. "Come on, I want to have a picnic at the top!" She giggled.

"Coming!" Tomoyo replied. "I think that Sakura will be all right, no matter what happens."

Kero hovered in place and sighed. "I hope you're right."

The group continued their climb for most of the day, the trail was ancient and seemed to fall apart at points, but somehow, Sakura kept finding it and plunging ahead. She smiled, still brimming with energy even as the sun hung low in the sky. "This is great! Beautiful views, good friends, and no fighting!" She cheered while they rested.

"Glad you're enjoin' it kiddo. We're almost to the top." Kero huffed.

"Do you think we'll make it there by sundown?" Tomoyo asked.

He glanced towards the top. "I think so, especially with the pace that Sakura's setting. Whew."

"Was I going too fast?"

Kero waved a paw. "Don't worry about it. We should be worrying about the last part of the climb. Earthy's not going to let it be this easy."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, sidling along the narrow ledge.

"This is a test, right?" Kero said pointedly. "So, what kind of test would it be if anyone could just walk up and reach the shrine?"

"I think I found the test." Tomoyo replied.

"Hoe…"

Just ahead, the narrow path ended at a near-flat face. It went practically straight up. Small crags jutted out from the rock, the largest of them looked barely big enough to stand on. "Oh my." Tomoyo gasped. "That's a long way up. Is there another path?"

Syaoran's voice echoed in her mind, somewhat distant. 'There's no other way up. This is it.'

"No." Sakura answered. "Syaoran says this is it."

"So dog breath says so, huh?" Kero teased.

Syaoran growled. 'Watch it.'

"Kero!"

The guardian in question cringed. "Okay, okay, I can take a hint. Why don't I wait here with Tomoyo while you climb?"

Sakura eyed the wall again. It didn't look any easier to climb that it did a minute ago. "How am I supposed to get up there?"

"Well, you can use flying magic, or you can climb." Kero sang.

"And since I don't know how to use the flying magic, I guess I'm climbing, huh?"

'It's not that hard.' Syaoran said calmly. 'Watch.'

In a flash, he leapt from tiny ledge to tiny ledge. Small pieces of rock tumbled down as he went. In a few minutes, he looked down on the trio from the top. 'Come on.'

Sakura scowled. 'Easy for you to say.'

'Just start climbing, I'll tell you where to move.'

Sakura grabbed on to the wall, slowly finding hand holds and places to stand. It was a lot more difficult that Syaoran made it look. She made it about half way up when the hand holds became sparse. She reached for one, but it was too high. 'Okay, so I'm stuck, now what?' She thought at Syaoran.

'Step to your right, there are more places to grab there.'

She obliged, sliding over. Sure enough, there were a few more holds.

'Now, reach up to your left, good.'

Sakura obeyed, following his instructions. It was strange. As she climbed, she got a feeling of deja vu. Why did this seem so familiar? Syaoran's voice rang out calm and clear in her mind. But the tone, the tone was like when she healed him. It sounded like him, didn't it? It must have been his voice guiding her. But then, why didn't act so surprised that she'd done it?

'Just put your foot there, and then you can reach up. It's only a few more feet.' He watched her climb slowly, but steadily as he instructed her.

Sakura raised her right foot and planted it firmly on the shallow ridge. The rock crumbled under her weight and her foot slipped. Off-balance, she flailed, losing her grip. Panic gripped Syaoran. He lashed out, biting onto Sakura's sleeve. 'Hang on!'

'I can't! There's no place to put my foot!' She thought while she scrambled against the wall.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo screamed from below.

A ripping sound made her stop struggling. 'Syaoran, my sleeve!'

Sure enough, the thin fabric tore and pulled away from Syaoran's teeth. His eyes moved from her face to her sleeve in rapid succession. If only he could use magic! Or if he had hands! Damn this idiotic curse! The material gave way, and Syaoran watched in horror as Sakura fell.

"Aggh!"

'Sakura!' He howled.

Silence followed.

Syaoran sat back, bits of fabric trailing from his gaping mouth. He let her fall. There was no way that she could survive that fall. Had they come all this way for nothing? Now he'd never be free of his curse. No, it was worse. He was responsible. She'd fallen because of him. Now she- Sakura was gone because of him.

The wind ruffled his fur. He looked up sadly, expecting to see an empty sky. Instead, Sakura hovered in front of him, a silly grin on her face. "I was able to use Windy's magic on the way down. I guess it helps to be fearing for your life?" She quipped, laughing nervously. In seconds, she alighted on the ground next to him.

'Don't you ever do that again!' He yelled.

'What? You don't want me to save myself?' She eyed him quizzically.

'No, I mean, don't scare me like that again. I thought you- I thought-'

'I'm sorry, Syaoran.' She reached out to pat him on the head. Surprisingly, he let her.

Someone clapped.

Startled, they broke apart. Syaoran stepped in front of her, growling loudly.

"Congratulations on making it to the top, Sakura." A new voice called. Stepping out from behind a large boulder stepped a man about her age with deep blue-black hair and glasses. Ignoring the growling, he smiled at her. Then, he held up a hand to reveal a card. "I believe this belongs to you."

Instantly, the card flew to Sakura and absorbed itself into her body. Her belly suddenly felt warm. Curious, she lifted her shirt slightly to reveal a new circular tattoo around her navel. "The Earth spirit? But how did you get it?" She asked the newcomer.

"Oh, how rude of me. I never introduced myself." He bowed. "My name is Eriol and I am Clow's second chosen, your partner."

**A/N: **So there it is folks. Enjoy this new twist. I promise it's still an S+S story :) Thank you for your patience as I write this story. I hope you enjoy it! Please continue to read and review.


	6. Chapter 05: The Sun

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 5: The Sun**

"Um," Sakura stumbled. "I'm sorry, but you startled me. What did you say?"

The blue-haired boy smiled broadly. "As I said, Sakura, I am Eriol and I am to be your partner."

"Hoeeee."

Beside her, Syaoran growled loudly. 'I don't like him. He's suspicious. What's he doing here anyway?' The thoughts barreled into Sakura's consciousness. She put a hand to her head in pain.

'Stop!'

Abruptly, the grumbling stopped. Syaoran looked up at her, ears flat.

Sakura let her hand fall to her side. She smiled gently at her companion. 'Sorry, Syaoran. I still don't have total control over it yet. Your voice just came through too loud. It's okay now. I'll be careful.' She turned to Eriol. "Eriol, right?"

He nodded.

"What do you mean by partner?"

"That is a bit of a long story. Suffice it to say, you are Clow's chosen, his heir. I am also a chosen, your partner. We can resolve the crisis together." Eriol replied.

'There's only supposed to be one heir.' Syaoran stared at the grass. 'He's lying!'

Sakura shook her head. "How can there be two? I've been going to the shrines, collecting the spirits like I'm supposed to. None of them ever mentioned a second person."

He walked closer, stopping a few paces away. "As I said, it is a long story, but allow me to prove my sincerity."

"How?" She cocked an eyebrow curiously.

"Your friend waits at the bottom, does she not?"

"Well, yes. But how did you-"

"Then we should return to her before relaying the whole story." He raised an arm and twirled his finger in the air. A strong breeze kicked up and Sakura had to close her eyes to keep the dust out. When she opened her eyes, she was floating, along with Eriol and Syaoran. The magical wind carried them downward, landing next to an astonished Tomoyo.

Syaoran kicked his paws angrily as they landed. 'Show off.'

"Sakura? Who is this?" Tomoyo asked while a yellow blur disappeared into her backpack.

"He says his name is Eriol. He was waiting at the top of the mountain and-"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tomoyo." Eriol bowed.

She stared as his deep blue eyes rose again to meet her.

Eriol grinned. "And now, Miss Sakura, allow me to explain." He took a seat on a nearby rock. "Most people who have heard of Clow's prediction do not, in fact, know the whole story." He waited a moment for them to take in the information. "While it is true that Clow ended the Great War between our nation of Tomoeda and the neighboring country of Shara and he predicted that an heir would arise to reclaim his power and bring peace again, that's only a small portion of the story. Clow was a seer."

"A seer?"

'Someone who can predict the future.' Syaoran interjected.

"Clow knew many things about the future, including the fact that he would die that day. So, he set up magic beacons in shrines across the country shortly before his death that would draw the elemental spirits he controlled to rest once he passed."

"He knew that the spell he cast would kill him?" Tomoyo bowed her head.

"Clow lived a very long life and he knew the consequences of his actions. But to not cast the spell would be disastrous for many people. He accepted the consequences of his decision." Eriol replied kindly. "Magic is a powerful, but also dangerous force, you can heal with it, but you can also harm with it. The user can be harmed too, using too much magic all at once is hard on a person. It can have consequences too."

"Is that why I passed out before?" Sakura wondered out loud.

The group turned to her.

"I mean, that was, you remember." She stuttered. "Back when I used a lot of magic at the Fire Shrine or that time when I used Firey for the first time."

Eriol nodded. "Yes, although it sounds like you only used enough magic to knock yourself out. It's like running. If you only walk, you don't get tired. When you run, you're winded. When you sprint, you are tired, but when you run a marathon at top speed in blazing hot temperatures-"

"It could kill you." Tomoyo finished softly.

"I'm afraid so."

Sakura stared at the dirt.

"The spell that you'll need to cast to bring peace to Tomoeda and Shara has the potential to kill you as well." Eriol added.

"What?" She felt suddenly cold. "You mean, I could die?"

"Don't be afraid, Sakura, that's why I'm here to help you." Eriol patted her hand, which earned a growl from Syaoran. He ignored it.

Kero floated over to Sakura's shoulder. "That's what I'm here for, buddy." He shook his tiny fist at the Eriol. "I am a guardian after all!"

"Kero!" She panicked. "Why aren't you hiding?"

"Relax kiddo. This kid knew I was there the whole time. He's got a lot of magic power."

"How do you know about Kero?" She interrupted.

"It's good to meet you, Keroberos." He acknowledged. "I learned about him when reading Clow's history. He gives off magical energy. I could see him clearly, but I wanted to wait until he was ready to be seen."

'And how does all of this come back to being Sakura's partner, huh?' Syaoran growled.

Sakura shifted uneasily, "But Eriol, what does that have to do with a partner?"

"Ah, I was getting to that." He mused. "Clow knew from his visions of the future that there would be another war and that there would be one to inherit his power. That much was passed down in the legend. What wasn't relayed, was that very late in his life, he saw someone else appear in that vision. There is a part of his prediction that has been omitted over the years."

Sakura looked at him curious. "So, what was left out?"

He continued. "Only one who is worthy may travel to the shrines of Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Sun, and Moon,-"

'We know that much.' Syaoran thought aloud though no one seemed to notice.

"-but alone I fear the worst. If two should appear, let them travel together and become one. Only then will they be strong enough to bear this burden and prevent the disaster."

"I still don't understand." Sakura said quietly.

Eriol stood and took her hand. "I have some skill as a seer, and I can use magic too. I think that Clow meant for us to combine our power and cast the spell together. This way, no one will suffer the same fate as he did back then."

'His whole story sounds funny.' Syaoran thought with a grimace. 'How can two people share the power for a spell? And how does he know so much about Clow? What if he's making it up? And-'

He paused. Eriol was staring at him. No. Not just staring. He looked as though he knew something. Syaoran stared back. Something about this guy made his fur stand on end. 'Could he stop staring at me?' He said to no one in particular.

"Your wolf is very interesting." Eriol faced Sakura again. "He's unusually tolerant of people. Where did you find him?"

Sakura glanced between them. "He kind of showed up one day. I wouldn't have been able to collect the spirits without him."

"But he's a big pain in the butt!"

"Kero!"

Eriol chuckled at the guardian's outburst. "Oh really? I wouldn't have imagined that of a wolf. Usually they just keep to themselves and don't worry about anyone else." He watched Syaoran carefully out of the corner of his eye.

"But Syaoran isn't like that at all!" Sakura blurted out.

Syaoran cringed. He really didn't want to tell this Eriol character anything about himself.

"So you call him Syaoran?" Eriol put a hand to his chin. "It means little wolf, right? Very appropriate."

"So, what happens now?" Tomoyo cut in. "I mean, what will you do if we don't let you travel with us?"

He smiled. "Well, I suppose I would continue on to the shrines that you haven't visited yet so that I might help you. But since we'd be going in the same direction, it would be much more convenient to travel together."

"Eriol-" Sakura started.

"No, no, Sakura, I don't mean to force you to make a decision right now." He stepped back. "I only want you to let me travel with you. It is all right if you don't believe me because the truth will be revealed in time. If I am in fact supposed to help you, things will work out. Don't you agree?"

'Sakura?'

She looked past Syaoran to Tomoyo. "What do you think?"

"You should do whatever you think is right. I'll be right here beside you no matter what."

She took a deep breath. "Okay. You can come with us."

"Thank you." Eriol replied. "Now, since it is barely past noon, we should hurry on to the next town so that we can restock your supplies. They look to be quite low."

"Do you know the way? We've never been to this part of the country before?" Tomoyo asked.

"Of course. This way." He marched away from the mountain, down a slim trail. "It's not far actually."

"We'll be right there!" Sakura called, urging Tomoyo and Kero ahead. "Don't worry, I'll be caught up in no time. I just want to talk to Syaoran for a second.

Once they were gone, Sakura faced him. "So?"

'So what? I don't trust him.'

"But what if what he says is true?"

'What if it isn't?'

"Is he very powerful?" She asked nervously.

He huffed. 'Yes, actually. Right now his aura is stronger than yours.'

"Aura?"

'It's special energy that emanates from a person, if you are magically inclined, you can see it.'

She smiled. "You know a lot about this Syaoran, were you some kind of wizard yourself?"

'Something like that.'

She leaned in eyes bright. "Is it something I could learn to do?"

'What?' He blushed from their closeness. At least he would have if he were human.

"Sense auras. I'd like to learn how to do it if I can."

Syaoran turned his head to avoid her eyes. 'Um, sure?'

"Thank you, Syaoran!" She wrapped him in a hug. "I'll do my best to learn."

She released him and trotted off after Tomoyo, Eriol, and Kero. Syaoran sat there, frozen. Had she really just hugged him? He was tempted to pinch himself, but quickly realized that would not even be possible given his situation. 'Auras huh?' Closing his eyes, he loped along, tracing the path of her lively pink aura, temporarily leaving his thoughts about Eriol behind.

All too soon, thoughts about Eriol were swarming in Syaoran's head. He'd thought up at least ten terrible things that he could do to the man, including setting fire to his sleeping bag, but sadly, he lacked opposable thumbs at the moment. Honestly, ever since Eriol and the girls had stopped in that little town, they hadn't stopped praising the guy. Syaoran huffed. He hadn't been able to accompany them into town; people tend to run when they see a wolf, or get a shotgun. Then, they'd spent hours shopping, leaving him to pace in the woods nearby. Sakura apologized afterward, but still - it was as though he were some kind of pet.

He glared at Eriol yet again, but the boy didn't even acknowledge it. On top of it all, it felt like Eriol knew what he was thinking. He never said anything, but the way his expression changed sometimes-

"I wonder how Dad and Touya are doing?" Sakura stopped walking.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I don't even know what made me think of it. I just, I miss him I guess." She sniffled a little. "I'm okay. It's just that I'm worried about my Dad and Touya. They don't even know where I am right now."

"Sakura, you shouldn't feel bad. You are the only one who can do this. I'm sure your Father will understand."

Eriol took Sakura's hand and kissed it gently. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything to your Father when we complete our mission." He soothed.

Blushing, Sakura stuttered. "You- you'd d-do that f-for me?"

"Of course. This is my responsibility as well."

"You're so kind." She smiled. "Thank you."

Syaoran pushed through the group. 'We need to get going. We lost too much time in town.'

She sighed, knowing he was right. 'How much farther is it?'

"The Temple of the Sun is a few days journey away." Eriol interrupted their silent conversation. "But the Yamazaki River shouldn't be too far from here. We can rest there for the night. That is, if we move quickly now."

"All right." Tomoyo answered.

Sakura nodded. "Lead the way."

Eriol set a fast pace as the sun sank steadily beyond the horizon. It didn't leave much time for conversation, but there was plenty of time to think. And while Sakura thought about what the next spirit would be, Eriol examined the group. Sakura was turning out to be a very interesting person, rather sweet and naive. Tomoyo did not bear any magical signature, but she watched every move Sakura made. He would have to watch out for her. And then, there was Syaoran; very interesting indeed.

"Over there!" Sakura pointed. "I can see the river!" She giggled and ran to the edge. Bending down, she scooped up the clear water and let it run between her fingers.

It was a small river, by waterway standards. The Yamazaki didn't stretch very far, and it curved roughly along the landscape. Still, its waters were clear and cool at the end of a long day. Tomoyo encouraged Sakura to take her shoes off and slip into the water. With little resistance, she put her shoes on the river bank, rolled up her pant legs, and waded into the cool water. "It's cold." She shivered.

"But I bet it feels good on your feet." Tomoyo encouraged. "I'll join you."

The two girls sloshed around, giggling and chatting about everything around them. A little further downstream, Syaoran stepped up to the water's edge and stared at his reflection. A brown wolf stared back. He sighed softly. Despite knowing that he was a wolf, somehow, seeing himself as one was even more disappointing. Eriol's reflection appeared above his. Syaoran folded his ears back, defensive.

Eriol smiled and said, "Water is an interesting element. It ebbs and flows, rises and recedes, conceals and reveals. If you concentrate, you can see many things in the water's surface." Then, as if he'd never been there, Eriol vanished from the reflection, leaving Syaoran alone. The water rippled and Syaoran stared not at a wolf, but at his own reflection; his true reflection. Shocked amber eyes stared back at him from the face he had nearly forgotten. However, the feeling only lasted an instant. He blinked. The reflection once again showed a scruffy brown wolf. Only his shocked eyes remained unchanged.

"It seems we made it here by sundown after all." Eriol announced, now several paces from Syaoran. "So, why don't we start a fire and have some dinner then?"

'What the hell was that?' He whipped his head around to face Eriol. 'How?'

"That sounds great. Sakura and I will get some firewood." Tomoyo replied.

Sakura's stomach gurgled loudly. "Ur, um." She blushed. "We'll be back soon."

Eriol nodded. "I'll prepare the meal then."

"Oh, you don't need to do that!" Sakura quickly said.

"Nonsense, I am a great cook if I do say so myself. And it is my gift to you, as thanks for letting me come along."

"Well, if you say so." She conceded. "That would be great!"

The girls walked off between the nearby trees, looking for tinder, while Eriol pulled food items from their packs. Syaoran watched him, slightly aggravated. Somehow, he had changed the reflection. He knew a lot more than he let on. He probably knew what had happened without being told. He probably understood every word he thought to Sakura too- Choking on the thought, Syaoran growled. He couldn't, could he? Eriol faced away from him now, his hands moved decisively, chopping up vegetables. Now was the time to find out. Venturing into dangerous territory, Syaoran thought, 'I know you can hear me, Eriol.' He waited, but the boy didn't respond. He continued, 'Playing dumb, huh? That won't work with me.' Yet Eriol didn't so much as flinch. 'Hey, I'm talking to you. Answer me!' His last remark ended with a growl.

Eriol turned around smiling. "I'm sorry, Syaoran, are you hungry too? I assumed you'd gone hunting in the woods outside of that town. Well, I'm sure the girls won't mind if we share our supper with you too huh? Just hang in there a while." Still grinning, he resumed preparing dinner.

Syaoran grumbled to himself, but relaxed. So it looked like he couldn't hear after all. Well, that was good at least. 'There are all too many things I'd rather keep to myself.' He thought. Content that he could at least think without interference, he laid down and closed his eyes. He allowed himself to relax, and sleep a little. After all, he would need his rest now if he was going to stay up tonight to make sure that Eriol didn't try anything.

Much to Syaoran's chagrin, he awoke a while later to see the girls merrily eating Eriol's cooking. He tried to put his head back down and feign sleep, but Sakura caught sight of him.

"Syaoran, you're awake." Sakura called.

"The stew is delicious, you should try some." Tomoyo added.

Sakura didn't catch his grimace. Instead, she grabbed a small bowl and filled it with stew for him. "Here you go." She set it down. "It's a little hot, but it's very good."

He eyed Eriol warily. Anything he made was likely to be poisoned. Again, he was ignored. Eriol simply ate his dinner quietly.

"Syaoran? Aren't you hungry?" Sakura's green eyes dropped into his view as she leaned over. "You should really eat something."

'Huh?' His thoughts jumbled around in his head, fighting to surface.

"Won't you eat even a little?" Her voice was soft and pleading.

Syaoran melted. 'No- no, that is - I'm actually really hungry!' He dropped his muzzle into the steaming bowl, sloshing the stew loudly as he tried to gulp it all down.

She giggled.

"So, he was hungry after all." Tomoyo said knowingly.

Eriol smiled and gestured toward the pot of remaining stew. "There is plenty for everyone, help yourselves."

The girl's spooned out seconds while Syaoran sulked. He'd acted like a fool in front of Sakura again while Eriol stood by and watched. The guy was too perfect. And the worst part was - his food was actually really good. Syaoran swallowed hard.

Atop a tower, something moved. The full moon illuminated the silhouette of a person holding a sword. Sakura stared dazedly from her position atop another building. A familiar feeling welled up inside of her and then she was flying. She glided gently towards the figure on the tower. It was then she noticed the strange outfit she was wearing. It was pink with a long white skirt and belt sash that bobbed with the wind.

She kept on flying, drawing closer to the shadowed figure. Then, a glimmer caused her to look up. Steel blue eyes and swaying robes crossed the full moon. It was some kind of winged person. Its wings spread wide for a moment and she noticed something in his hand.

Turning back to the man on the building, she saw him reach for her. And without thinking, her arm reached out for him. She was close enough that their fingers nearly touched - but only nearly.

Something silver split the air, striking the man and knocking him back. She fell. Fast. The hazy feeling around her gave way to sheer terror as her stomach lurched. Sakura looked up. The man was on his knees, clutching his chest and shouting to her. "Sakura!"

Sakura sat bolt upright and clutched her chest. "What was that?" she whispered, breathing hard. "I've never seen that part before." Calming herself, she looked around. She could just see the first glimmer of sunlight rising over the hills and in it's rays, a wolf? Knowing that she certainly wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep, she decided to see what he was doing. She tiptoed over to Syaoran's side.

He felt her aura shift towards him and without looking, he sighed. 'Sakura, why are you awake? You should be in bed.'

Startled, she whispered. "But, how did you know it was me?"

'Aura. And you shouldn't talk, you might wake the others.'

'Oh.'

A moment of silence passed between them.

She turned to him with pleading eyes. 'Could you teach me how to do that?'

'Do what?'

'You know, how to sense auras, like you just did.' She responded.

He knew that there was no winning this argument. He felt oddly cornered by her gleaming eyes and gentle begging. 'Okay.'

'Really?'

Syaoran settled in and closed his eyes. 'Yes, just sit down and close your eyes.'

Once she'd taken her position, she shuffled uncomfortably. 'So, what do I do now?'

'Just take a deep breath and keep your eyes closed. Imagine the terrain around you and picture it firmly in your mind.' He instructed. 'It should be just like when you sense for spirits. You will be able to see things with your mind's eye that you cannot otherwise see.'

She sat completely still for a few seconds. As she concentrated, blips of things started to appear in her vision. Soon trees and grass and everything around her appeared. 'I see it. This is amazing! It's like watching the world through a special lens.'

Syaoran flicked an eye open and watched her. She smiled brightly while leaning left and right, trying to look at things with her senses. She looked so happy. When he'd taken lessons so long ago to learn this technique, he remembered absolutely hating it. It took him a long time to master the ability, but her? She was learning it in minutes. Somewhere inside, he was impressed, but there was no way his pride would let him say anything about it. Instead he continued with the lesson. 'Now, I want you to look at yourself, really look closely. What do you see?'

She twisted her view until she could look down at herself. 'I see - pink?'

'And?'

Confused, she continued. 'There's all this pink fog around me, and it's kind of swirling.'

'That is your aura.' Syaoran said.

'Mine? Is it supposed to be pink?'

'You don't choose the color. It is what it is.' His voice was calm and even, recounting a lesson he'd heard many times. 'Everyone has an aura, and every one is different. Color varies along with strength. A non-magical person has an aura too, though theirs is much smaller.'

'So, Tomoyo has one too?' She asked.

'Look for yourself.'

After a moment, she smiled. 'Tomoyo's aura is small, but it's a pretty lavender color. Oh, and there's Eriol's aura.'

At the name, Syaoran bit back the urge to growl.

'His aura is much bigger though, and it's a deep blue, like the night sky.' Sakura continued looking around. Finally, her mind's eye focused in on Syaoran. 'And yours is green, Syaoran. It feels pretty strong too. So, you really must be a wizard, right?'

There was no point hiding it. 'I was. My family has been skilled in magic for generations. I was trained to be a magic-user from an early age, but I can't do any magic as I am now.'

'I'm sorry.'

'You don't have anything to be sorry about. You didn't cast the spell on me.' Syaoran replied calmly.

'Is there anything I can do to help?' She asked.

'I don't know.' He sighed. 'It may be a hopeless case. I'll probably be this way forever.'

He seemed so sad, even through the lens of her magic senses. Sakura bit her lip and opened her eyes. He sat stock still, shoulders slightly hunched. His amber eyes stared coldly at the sky. There had to be something she could do to help. Tentatively, she reached out her hand and touched his shoulder blade. Syaoran flinched.

She drew back. 'I'm sorry.'

Damn. Now Sakura had that hurt puppy look in her eyes. He couldn't stand it, so he gave in. 'It's okay. You just startled me.'

That seemed to work. She reached out again and gingerly stroked his shoulder. Syaoran's fur felt very soft for a wolf, at least, what she'd imagined wolf's fur would feel like. Gradually, she increased the pressure, running her hand up and down his back. He relaxed and leaned into her hand.

'Just so we're clear, I'm only letting you do this once.'

She paused. 'Why is that?'

'Otherwise, Tomoyo and Eriol will tease me about being like a dog.' He huffed.

Sakura giggled.

'It's not funny.'

'Sorry.' She held her other hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter.

Syaoran flattened his ears. 'Then why are you still laughing?'

"Good morning!" called Eriol.

Abruptly, Syaoran stood and walked away.

'Where are you going?'

'I'm thirsty,' he lied, 'I'm going down to the river to get a drink.'

'Oh.'

"And how are you this morning, Sakura?"

Sakura turned to smile at Eriol. "Good morning, Eriol. I'm doing well."

"Good to hear." He held out a hand to help her up. "What has you up so early this morning?"

"Syaoran was teaching me about auras." She grinned wide. "It was amazing! I never knew that they even existed!"

Eriol smiled back. "Did he now? That's great, Sakura."

"Mine is pink, yours is blue, Tomoyo's is kinda purple, and Syaoran's is green-"

The boy walked with Sakura as she relayed her lesson happily. Nodding to her, he focused his senses on the sulking wolf down by the river. 'So,' he thought to himself, 'even from such simple contact their auras react to one another. Interesting.'

Syaoran was ready to scream, or howl, or, well - he couldn't really think of a clear way to vent his frustration at the moment, but he'd figure something out. Eriol and Sakura chatted happily about one thing or another, while Tomoyo listened to Kero recounting epic tales from Clow's days. Syaoran felt invisible. But worse than being invisible was being invisible next to Eriol and having to listen to his useless blabbering. He started to think nasty thoughts about Eriol, but stopped short, remembering that if he did, Sakura would most certainly hear and get upset. He grimaced.

A twig snapped.

Syaoran's ears perked up as the hair on his back stood on end. 'Someone's coming.'

"What? Where?" Sakura looked around quickly.

Eriol grabbed her arm. "Sakura, this way. It sounds like someone's coming." He led the two girls behind some thick bushes. Syaoran padded over to them silently.

Soon the footfalls were loud enough for all to hear. There were several people and they were talking rather loudly. The words were foreign though. Syaoran closed his eyes and let his keen senses study the situation. 'Soldiers.' He announced. 'There are at least six, but I don't think they've noticed us.'

Moments later, eight men crossed the trail they'd been following. They wore blue uniforms with a mace and half moon pictured across the chest. Sharan troops. Thankfully, they didn't stop, instead they headed south towards the river. When they were safely out of earshot, the group emerged.

"What are Sharan troops doing this far north?" Tomoyo whispered. "And what was that language they were speaking?"

"It looks like things are getting worse. Those men were definitely mercenaries, probably recruited from one of Shara's neighbors. We must go quickly to the Temple of the Sun." Eriol stared into the distance. Something wasn't right. The Sharan symbol was a mace, but where did the half moon come from? And that aura -

The group started walking again, but Syaoran remained still.

"Syaoran?" Tomoyo called. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and opened his eyes. 'I want to check on something.'

'Check on something?' Sakura's anxious voice chimed in his head. 'What do you mean?'

'It's okay, I'll just be a few minutes.'

'Should we wait for you?'

'No. Go on ahead.'

'But-' she started, the worry clearly visible in her features.

He faced away from her. 'I'm a wolf. I'm fast. I can catch up to you easily. Just go.'

She frowned, but conceded. "Syaoran says he'd like to check on something, so he'll catch up."

"Oh, okay." Tomoyo replied.

Syaoran watched them until they disappeared beyond the next hill. 'Good. Now I can check out that strange aura.' He followed their scent and it wasn't long before he caught up with them. He hunkered down in the foliage and searched for their auras. They were weak, but very peculiar. It looked like they were shrouded in black mist. He wrinkled his nose. Corrupted magic. Syaoran watched the black mist hang over the men, swirling slightly. It was almost hypnotizing in a strange way. Suddenly, the mist reeled in his direction. 'Shit!'

The men turned toward him, most drew swords, but three lowered guns at him. They barked several orders, but Syaoran didn't stick around to hear them. He launched into a full run. 'Damn that corrupted aura. It's a good thing Sakura didn't use any magic earlier. This thing would have found her for sure. It found me and I don't think I was doing anything loud or noticeable.'

A shot bit into the ground near his feet. They were fast.

Not far away, Sakura heard the gunshot and froze. "Syaoran?" Without a second thought, she ran towards the sound.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo and Kero called after her. "Wait!" Eriol followed.

The next few bullets glanced off the trees. Syaoran counted himself lucky. 'I'm faster than they are and I can move better in these woods. I should be able to lose them.' He ducked into a thicket and calmed himself. 'Be quiet, absolutely quiet.' He cautioned himself. 'I'll wait until they've gone past, then I'll take a roundabout path back to the group.'

Soon the men passed his location. He waited anxiously for their sounds and smells to fade into the distance, but they didn't. Instead, they turned around and headed towards his hiding place. Panic rose in Syaoran's throat. How did they know? Unless - the fur rose on the back of his neck. 'It's got to be that corrupted magic. It's locked on to me. I'm such an idiot!' No, this was not the time to panic. He tried to think. How do you hide from something like that? Spells? No, he couldn't use any of those right now. Damn. You don't hide. You have to fight. He hunkered down and waited.

One of the soldiers started towards his position. Syaoran watched his gun carefully. 'Concentrate.' He told himself. 'Wait for just the right moment. Now!' In a split second, Syaoran launched out of the thicket and landed heavily on the soldier. Successfully shaken, the man didn't react quickly enough to catch their quarry as he raced back into the woods. Shots rang out. 'Great. I got away for now, but I can't outrun them forever.'

"Syaoran!"

Now he was hearing things, that sounded like-

'Sakura?' What on earth was she doing here? He looked up. Sakura floated overhead, a relieved smile on her face. He kept running. 'Sakura, get out of here, now!' He ordered.

'Syaoran?'

Too late. He could hear the men talking again. They had seen her.

Sakura blanched when she saw the men. She barely managed to avoid the barrage of bullets.

'Sakura!' He launched himself at one of the men, rage driving his actions. The soldier dropped his gun and didn't have time to go for his sword as Syaoran snapped and clawed at him.

From above, Sakura could see two of the soldiers taking aim at Syaoran. She had to do something, or they'd be sure to hit him. "Leave him alone!" She yelled, swooping in from above. Her tackle knocked the man down, but she clumsily tumbled along with him. This was not a good idea. The man ended up on top and held her firmly to the ground by her wrists. Thoughts tumbled into her mind again and it was just like before. Even in a foreign tongue, they sounded terrible. She tried to block the thoughts out. Panic set in.

'No!' Syaoran howled. He jumped off of the man he'd been attacking, only to stare into the end of a gun barrel. He growled low. 'Sakura, use your magic to break free! Go!'

She didn't answer. Her small body shivered in the large man's grasp. Damn it all! What was he supposed to do?

Suddenly, the air buzzed. Magic hummed around them. Roots shot out of the earth and vines freed themselves from the trees. The woods attacked with mighty force, grabbing and snaring the soldiers. In an instant, Syaoran and his opponent reacted. There was a shot, and a yelp and Syaoran landed heavily on his side. The soldier flailed at vines and roots with the butt of his gun uselessly. Soon, the vines wrapped him up and dangled him from the trees. Now that he had time to think, he looked around. Sakura was free now, Eriol and Tomoyo called to them from a few hundred yards away. His vision blurred. Fatigue and pain, pushed away while he fought to survive, surfaced with a vengeance. He let out a small whine as he collapsed.

Syaoran woke to a sky full of stars. 'Sakura?' He lifted his head to look for her.

"Sakura is asleep right now."

Great. Eriol. Just the person he didn't want to talk to. He sat up with a wince. His shoulder felt like it was on fire.

"It's going to take a while to heal I'm afraid." The older boy said slowly.

Tomoyo appeared behind them. "I'm glad to see you're okay. Sakura was really worried about you."

'She was?'

"She tried her best with the healing magic Eriol taught her, but it didn't go as well as last time."

Eriol nodded. "Yes, she tired herself out rather quickly."

'What about the soldiers?' When they didn't respond, he sighed. WIthout Sakura to translate his thoughts, it was impossible to communicate with them.

"I can guess that you're worried about those soldiers from before. My vines caught them by surprise, eh?" Eriol chuckled.

Great. Of all the people to be saved by, it had to be him.

"I put a sleeping spell on them that'll confuse them when they wake. They probably won't remember us at all." He continued. "And we've gone a fair ways. We'll be at the Temple tomorrow afternoon."

'We're safe now, but there's no guarantee for next time. I screwed this up. I shouldn't have gone after them.' Syaoran struggled to his feet.

"What are you doing?" Tomoyo watched him carefully. "You should rest!"

He lowered his head and flattened his ears. 'If I stay by her side, she'll only be in more danger. It was better before, when I just watched her from the shadows.'

They stared at him.

'Damn.' He grabbed a stick with his teeth and wrote awkwardly in the dirt. "Goodbye."

"But-" Tomoyo started, but Eriol held her back.

"We must all make our own decisions. This is his and we will respect it."

Limping away, Syaoran breathed deep. He wouldn't drag her into any danger anymore. Eriol had the power to protect her, and he was still a wolf. 'When she collects all of the spirits and sets things right, she won't need a wolf anymore. It's better this way.' He disappeared into the underbrush.

"Eriol? Was it really okay to just let him go like that? Sakura will be upset."

"There are certain things that are impossible to predict."

She inclined her head, trying to process his statement. "Do you think he'll come back?"

"Who can say?" Eriol mused. "Tomoyo?"

"Yes?"

"You said that Sakura healed him once before?"

"Yeah. Although she didn't use the spell that you taught her today. She just kind of touched him and started muttering to herself. Then she passed out. But Syaoran was completely healed." She explained. "She said afterwards that it was like someone was telling her what to do with her magic." Tomoyo's eyes went starry. "That's my Sakura! Someday she'll be an amazing sorceress!"

Eriol chuckled.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just curious. It's rare to be able to heal someone with wounds that serious, especially with little training and experience. Sakura certainly is something special."

"I know, isn't she!"

Eriol just watched the dark-haired girl, amused. "In any case, why don't we get some sleep too. It's pretty late."

"I suppose we should." She walked away and stepped into her sleeping bag near Sakura's. "Good night."

"Good night, Tomoyo." He settled into his own sleeping bag and contemplated the events of the day. Sakura was steadily progressing with her magic and Syaoran - he smiled to himself. Meeting Syaoran was unexpected. Meeting him in a wolf's form was even less so, but there was an interesting turn of events at play here. Watching Sakura carefully, he could see her pink aura reach out for the lingering green tendrils that Syaoran left in his wake. The hardest thing to predict as always, is the human heart. May as well play this out and see what happens. He'd have to give Sakura an aura lesson of his own after tomorrow's trial.

The next day, Sakura woke feeling less energetic than usual, though she couldn't explain why. Maybe she'd slept badly after that incident yesterday? She tried to cheer herself up. "What's wrong with you, Sakura? We're going to reach the Sun Temple today and you're going to be all right."

"Sakura?" Tomoyo peered down at her friend with a sad smile.

"Good morning Tomoyo." She replied sweetly.

"Good morning." Tomoyo took her hand. "Sakura, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"It's about Syaoran."

Panic seeped through her. "Is he okay? Did my magic heal him? Where is he?"

"Sakura." She squeezed her hand. "He's fine. You did a good job healing him. But Sakura-"

"So where is he? I don't see him." She swiveled back and forth, surveying the campsite.

"Sakura, he decided to leave."

"Leave? But-" Something ached inside her at the thought. "But why?"

"He had a few things to sort out." Eriol's rich voice answered from several paces away.

"Eriol?" Tomoyo eyed him curiously.

He nodded and walked over. "There are many different types of problems. And his is one that he must solve on his own. Give him time."

"Hoe?" She tilted her head, confused. "But I don't understand. Why does he need to solve his problem on his own? Didn't I promise to help him with his curse? Doesn't he trust me?"

The sadness in her voice made Tomoyo want to cry. "He trusts you. I'm sure of it, Sakura. He just needs some time to think." She turned to Eriol, "Right?"

He smiled and stepped back to allow Sakura room to stand.

She pushed back the tears that threatened to flow and took a deep breath. He wouldn't want her to waste time standing around anyway, right? She dusted off her clothes and smiled broadly. "Let's get moving. Whether he wants my help or not, he's got it and that means visiting the last two shrines as soon as possible."

"Sakura." Tomoyo breathed, impressed at her friend's strength. "You're absolutely right."

"Then shall we go to the Sun Temple?" Eriol offered Sakura an arm.

"Yeah." She placed a hand on his arm and let him guide her.

It was a long and quiet walk. Even Kero remained quietly tucked away inside Sakura's backpack. By the time they arrived, it was late in the day. The group was only mildly surprised to find the Temple in ruins. A few half-toppled pillars and broken stone walls remained of what must have been a magnificent building many years ago. Tomoyo was the first to break the silence. "I wonder why all of this shrine is in such bad shape. I mean, time would naturally do some damage, but it's almost as if it was actively destroyed."

Sakura nodded.

"That's because it was." Eriol supplied.

The girls gasped.

Eriol merely stared at the setting sun. "It was destroyed because there were many people who sought Clow's power after his death. Even now, there are those seeking that power."

"But I thought only the chosen could inherit it?" Tomoyo put a hand to her chin in thought. "And why is this place so badly damaged as opposed to the Wind Cave or the Water Shrine?"

"All good questions." He chuckled. "You are very observant."

"Thank you."

"The answer lies in the type of power that this shrine holds."

"What type is it?" Sakura asked softly.

"A guardian."

"Guardian?" Both girls echoed.

"The Sun and Moon Temples each hold a guardian - a powerful being that at one time protected Clow directly. The other shrines, as you mentioned, Tomoyo, only held magical spirits. The guardians are not under the same rules as the spirits. They do not have to serve Clow's chosen, they choose their own master." Eriol stated, suddenly serious.

"Eriol." Tomoyo said flatly. "What aren't you telling us?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that right now." He smiled.

"Why not?" Sakura wondered out loud.

He stared past her, watching something very carefully. "Because the sun is setting and it is time for your trial."

"What?"

Suddenly a bright glow surrounded her.

"Sakura! Behind you!" Tomoyo screamed.

She turned in horror as the beast launched itself at her.

As its claws prepared to slice into her flesh, a sudden gust of wind pushed her out of the way, knocking her to the ground. She quickly got to her feet and stared. The creature was a huge lion with feathery wings. It was bigger than even the largest horse she'd ever seen, and it wore an armor plate across its head and chest. "What is it?" She called to Eriol.

The dark-haired boy grinned. "Sorry for the rough push, I didn't have much time to get you clear." Then he directed his attention back to the lion creature. "This is Keroberos, the Sun guardian. We must defeat him."

"But how?"

"Magic." Eriol answered simply.

Keroberos roared, pawing the ground. He flicked his gaze back and forth between Eriol and Sakura, then spotted a better target. With another roar, he launched into the air. Sakura felt her breath hitch in her throat. The creature was diving toward Tomoyo!

"Tomoyo!"

From the forest's edge, Syaoran stirred. That was her voice, and it sounded like Tomoyo was in trouble. He fought back the overwhelming urge to charge in and save them. Reason said that Eriol would be strong enough to protect the girls, but reason also said that it wouldn't hurt to get closer and see exactly what was happening. Thank goodness reason was manageable today. Quickly and silently, Syaoran slipped nearer to the ruins. Finally, he reached the stone walls that used to be a part of the temple. Now they concealed him and provided an adequate view of the fight.

When he arrived, Syaoran noticed that Tomoyo was nowhere in sight. Her scent lingered though, so she must be hiding somewhere. Good. He focused in on Sakura, who was now running from a lion-like creature. Wait a moment. The Sun Temple was supposed to house the guardian of the Sun, Keroberos. So then this was the guardian.

With Tomoyo safely out of the way, Sakura tried to fight the guardian. She'd managed enough Wind power to increase her speed and stay out of reach of his attacks, but that alone wasn't going to be enough to beat it. What should she try? Water wouldn't help much here. Fire might do it. She turned to face the guardian and concentrated on the tattoo on her arm. Fire. "Come on fire!" She yelled as a small fireball left her hand. Despite being large, the big creature was agile. It dodged the attack easily and followed her. Sakura's mind was a jumbled mess. How was she supposed to fight this thing? She couldn't take the time to aim the fireball and it didn't look like it would do much damage anyway. Eriol was doing his best to help her, but it didn't help when she didn't know what to do. Where was Kero when you needed him? Kero! What was it Eriol had said at their first meeting? 'It's nice to meet you Keroberos.' Right? The memory played over and over in her mind. She froze. Keroberos caught sight of the opportunity. He wheeled back and dived.

It was all Syaoran could do to hold himself back. He reminded himself that his shoulder was still injured and he wouldn't make it in time even if he tried. Silently, he calculated the attack. Eriol had to the count of three to do something or Sakura would - she would. He counted. Three. Two. One- Why wasn't he moving? The beast was too close now! He couldn't stop the howl. It came from somewhere primitive within him and pierced the night air.

'Sakura!'

Sakura snapped out of her daze. In a split second, she raised her arms as if to block the attack. The guardian collided with a loud bang and a cloud of dust obscured the battlefield. When the smoke cleared, Sakura blinked. She survived? How? She looked up and saw a near-transparent dome covering her. Not far away, Keroberos shook off the stun and stood up.

"Use your magic to defeat him! I'll hold him down." Eriol called, chanting some spell.

"But I don't want to hurt him!" She returned.

He smiled wide. "Then, use the wind to bind him! Hurry Sakura before he breaks free. Don't worry, it won't hurt him."

"All right." She replied, concentrating. Her eyebrows furrowed together.

A quiet, but familiar voice wafted through her mind. 'Come on Sakura, you can do this, I know you can.'

The words flowed easily now. "Wind!" She commanded. "Become a binding chain!" With a surge of power, the winds spun around the guardian, pinning it to the ground. The winds created a transparent prison and Sakura wondered if it would be enough to hold back the powerful guardian. To her surprise, Keroberos merely sat down and closed his eyes, acknowledging his defeat.

"Eriol?" She prodded.

"Congratulations. You did very well." He approached her casually. "The guardian has been bested and is now yours to claim. Just release the wind and put your hand on his forehead."

"Okay." Sakura took a deep breath. The winds died down, but the guardian remained still, eyes closed. Gently, she laid a cautious hand on the beast's forehead as instructed. She felt warm inside as the beast glowed brightly. Sakura had to shut her eyes to protect them from the glare. A moment later, she blinked them open again. "Kero!"

"Hi Sakura." He mumbled apologetically, floating in front of her where the beast had been.

"Thank goodness you're okay." She pulled the now tiny guardian into a hug. "You worried me."

He was shocked. "You knew it was me?"

She shook her head, "At first, I didn't know. Then, I remembered when you met Eriol. He called you Keroberos then."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo raced from her hiding place and joined in the hug. "I was so scared! After Eriol pulled me out of the way, I had to hide and I couldn't see what was happening, but it sounded so awful! Are you okay? Where is the beast?"

Sakura smiled awkwardly, "Here." She indicated Kero.

"Where?"

"Here." Kero answered. "Me."

"What?"

Eriol stepped in. "Keroberos is the guardian of the Sun. Kero is Keroberos' temporary form, travel-size if you like. His power was sealed in this shrine and couldn't be awoken until he was present."

She thought carefully. "So, Kero turned into that beast when we got here? How did we miss that?"

"I suppose we were all a little deep in thought." Eriol mused out loud.

"I'm sorry that I didn't notice earlier, Kero." Sakura released the tiny guardian. "If I had-"

"No, it's my fault. I should have remembered, but when we got here, I blacked out and the power possessed me. There was nothing you could have done except defeat me, and you passed with flying colors. I'm sorry that I couldn't warn you earlier." He reached out to tap her chest. "Check it out."

She pulled her shirt collar down a bit and smiled, noting the sun-shaped tattoo still lightly glowing just above her heart. "Thank you."

"Besides, I'm super cool now!" He shouted. "In my true form, that is."

Sakura giggled. "You are very cool all the time, Kero."

He puffed up his chest with pride. "The coolest."

"Anyway," Eriol cleared his throat, "This place is perfectly safe now, so why don't we make camp for the night?" Eriol suggested. "And Sakura, I believe you inquired about further aura training?"

Something tugged at the back of Sakura's mind.

"Sakura?"

"Hmm?" She pushed the thought aside for now. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said." Her stomach chose this moment to growl loudly.

"No wonder she didn't hear you over that!" Tomoyo giggled.

Eriol smiled. "I asked if you would like an aura lesson this evening. Of course, that would be after dinner." He offered a hand to help her up.

"Oh! That'd be great, thank you!" She exclaimed, trying to suppress the blush that accompanied her embarrassment. "Let me help you make dinner!" She let him pull her to her feet, smiling.

Syaoran watched silently from his post. His heart finally slowed to a reasonable rate. For a moment, he thought he would lose her, but it looked like Eriol had managed a shielding spell of some kind to protect her. She wasn't really in any danger. Not with him around. They succeeded, and they did it without his help. After all, they were chosen to be together, wasn't that how the story went? It looked like he was right, they didn't need him. She didn't need him. Quietly, he slipped back into the woods.

**A/N: **Sorry that this chapter took so long. So many things seem to get in the way of writing these days. I've been wanting to get back to this story for a while, okay a LONG while, and I'm very sorry to the readers who want to know what happens. I'm planning to resolve the story in 2 more chapters. Please continue to read and review! Thank you for your patience.


	7. Chapter 06: The Moon

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 6: The Moon**

Two figures waited on the hilltop, surveying the route into Tomoeda. One sat proudly astride an armored black horse. His majestic white hair danced in the gentle breeze. He stared at the distant sunrise with piercing blue eyes. By contrast, the other man, a rather squat blond stood beside him nervously. It would only be a matter of days until they reached the capitol and completed their mission. Both of their uniforms bore the blue banner of Shara. The shorter man coughed, earning a scowl from his companion. "Sir?" He said softly, regretting speaking already. The horse snorted. He took that as a sign to continue.

"Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, Sir, but-"

"I prefer that you address me as General, soldier." He replied icily.

"Yes, Si- General." The man started to sweat. The General's intimidation factor fell in a class of its own. He stood head and shoulders over most of the men and his cold voice chilled the air as he spoke. If that wasn't enough, then his skill with magic or the bow would surely do the trick. "The scouting unit reported in this morning." He suppressed a shiver.

"And?"

"Apparently, they met with two powerful magicians along the river trail. Children, they claim, but with powerful auras." The man continued.

"And? Were they destroyed?"

At this, the soldier audibly gulped. "No Sir- General. The unit was defeated, tied up by magic, and abandoned."

"No matter how powerful they are, they are not a match for me." The General replied flatly.

"The men also mentioned a wolf-"

The General placed a cold hand on his subordinate's shoulder. "I'm sure that I can also deal with any beast that Tomoeda has on its side."

A younger soldier approached them from behind. He stopped several paces away and bowed. "The troops have packed up the gear and are ready to mobilize. We await your orders."

"Very good. We will move out immediately."

The man bowed again. "As you command, General Yue."

vvvvvvvvvv

"Finished." Tomoyo sighed at her latest creation. The sketch featured Sakura twirling in the air wearing a costume that only with Tomoyo's superior imagination and skill, could contain that much lace and still be worn. Her eyes twinkled at the intricate details. Yes. This sketch definitely captured Sakura's cuteness!

Taking a moment to turn her attention back to the subject of her art, Tomoyo's smile faded. Eriol and Sakura were training again today and it didn't look like it was going well. Sakura's disheveled clothes made it look like she'd been mining coal instead of practicing magic. They'd been working on everything from flying to fireballs to manipulating water since very early this morning. Tomoyo chuckled at the memory of waking up to find Sakura attempting to float globs of water over her head. She lost her concentration several times and ended up drenched.

Now, the girl panted heavily, weary from hours of using her magic. If it were anyone else, Tomoyo was certain that they'd have collapsed by now, but not Sakura. She smiled as she talked to Eriol about the next task.

"I want you to try using your Earth magic this time. Create a barrier to shield yourself like you did during the fight with Keroberos." Eriol said calmly. "Remember that Earth is the spirit of protection and endurance. You'll need to concentrate on protecting something that you hold dear."

"Okay, got it." She called as she ran back a few hundred yards to the other side of the field.

Eriol smiled despite his worry. Lately, Sakura's magic felt weak. She could fly most of the time and occasionally call up some fire or water magic, but she hadn't been able to call on the Earth's shield ability in practice. He had a pretty good idea why, but he had yet to confirm it.

"All right, I'm ready!" Sakura yelled as she took up her position.

"Then, let's get started." He raised his right hand, palm up. Sparks flew from his fingertips and grew into blue flames. Seven flames formed and spiraled around his palm. They floated slowly for a moment before launching themselves full speed at Sakura.

She took a deep breath as they approached, trying to quell her fear. 'All right. I can do this.' She told herself. 'Just because I've failed ten times already doesn't mean I'll fail this time.' Sakura sighed. 'That's a real reassuring pep talk. Come on, just focus.' The sparks raced toward her. "Come on Earth Spirit! I don't wanna get burned!" A familiar feeling stirred somewhere in the pit of her stomach. Sakura closed her eyes and focused on that feeling. "Earthy!"

From her safe spot at the edge of the field, Tomoyo gasped. The sparks flared as they collided with a soft pink barrier surrounding her friend. They sizzled loudly and after a moment, blazed brighter. The pink shield flickered and faded. "Sakura, look out!"

Sakura panicked and held her hands up in front of her face, eyes clenched shut. She waited, but nothing happened. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The sparks danced about six inches from her face. A few seconds later, they winked out of existence. She exhaled and plopped down on the soft grass. "I don't understand. I got the shield this time, but it broke so easily."

Tomoyo and Eriol walked up to their disheartened friend. "Sakura," Eriol started, "You did quite well to make the shield appear, but you must remember that it is only as strong as you will it to be."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, the shield reacts to your will. If you want it to protect what's inside, it will. If you want things to be able to pass through they will. The only things that can get inside your shield are those that have a stronger desire to get in than you have to keep them out." He patted her shoulder gently. "Magic is powered by the strength of your own body and mind. You did quite well actually; I have a very tough mind." His smile broadened. "But I know that you are capable of much more. At the Sun Temple, you genuinely feared for your life and wanted to protect yourself. That is why the shield kept Keroberos out."

"Oh."

"But the strongest type of shield is one that protects others." He continued in a whisper.

Sakura flopped down on the grass and stared at the clouds. "Why is it that the only way I can use my magic is when I'm about to get flattened, fried, or beat up?"

"That's not true." Kero stated matter-of-factly as he floated over Tomoyo's shoulder.

"Thank you-"

"You forgot drowning."

"KERO!" She fumed, jumping up to chase the giggling guardian.

While they ran, Eriol and Tomoyo sat down. She quietly watched him for a while before tapping him gently on the shoulder. "So, what's the real reason she is having so much trouble?"

Eriol smiled. "You are wonderfully observant, Tomoyo. What makes you think that there's a bigger reason for her trouble?"

"Hmm." She tapped a finger against her chin. "You watch over her so protectively and you are trying very hard to train her but-"

"But?"

"But, I don't know, it feels like you're testing a theory. You aren't going easy on her; that much I know. And it feels like you know something that you don't want to tell her yet."

"Remarkable as always." He smiled. "I am keeping my theory from Sakura for now, but it's nothing that would hurt her. Confuse her maybe, but never hurt."

"Coming from you, I believe that. But tell me, does Sakura have the ability to control her magic? She will eventually get it, right?" The dark-haired girl watched his eyes carefully.

"Sakura is merely experiencing a temporary block. She'll work through it. I believe that she'll be all right."

Tomoyo sighed, relieved. "If it's Sakura, she'll definitely be all right."

"She's already doing very well, look." Eriol pointed at Sakura who was now flying around chasing Kero who had turned into his true form in order to stay ahead. "She's very fast."

vvvvvvvvvv

The next day, Eriol insisted that they move ahead. "Training your magic is important, Sakura, but so is getting to the last temple. I fear that time is not on our side."

Reluctantly, she agreed. "I just wish I felt more confident about all of this. I'm not sure that I'm cut out for all of this magic stuff."

Tomoyo grabbed her hand. "Of course you are! The spirits chose you and you've already proven that you can control the magic. And there's no one could wield that magic as cutely as you! You'll get the hang of it, just wait and see."

Sakura sighed as her friend's eyes twinkled. Some things never change. Still, she didn't like the uneasy feeling that brewed within her the closer they got to the Temple. Something wasn't right. 'What do you think, Syao-' She started, but stopped when she remembered that her companion was not there. Why did he really leave? Normally, she wouldn't mind if she didn't get to see a friend for a while, but Syaoran's disappearance bothered her. And why did she sometimes get the feeling that he was still nearby?

Eriol watched the girl carefully. She really did miss the little wolf, more than she realized. Her thoughts often strayed and her aura reflected her inner sadness. The pink waves rolling off of her were turbulent, as though they were reaching out for something in the air. That gave him an idea. "Sakura?"

She snapped free of her thoughts for a moment. "Yes?"

"Tonight, I would like to give you another lesson on auras."

She smiled. "Okay, but are you sure we can afford to take a break on my magic training?"

"I insist that we do, actually. Training the mind is as important as training the body." He returned gently.

"Aw." Tomoyo cried.

"What's wrong?"

"I won't be able to sketch it!"

Sakura tilted her head to the side. "Sketch what?"

Tomoyo squealed. "Sakura's aura."

Eriol chuckled. "I think I understand."

"Hoe?"

"Tomoyo doesn't have magic and can't see auras, so she won't be able to sketch you during our lesson because…" He held up a hand and motioned toward Sakura.

"Because she can't see it." She finished.

"That's not a problem." Came a small voice from Sakura's backpack.

"Kero?" She glanced back over her shoulder. "You were awake?"

"Yep."

"And you have a solution to my dilemma?" Tomoyo grinned at the tiny guardian.

"Sure do." He floated out of the backpack with a paw to his chin. "It's not a problem because I can see them!"

The girls stared for a full minute before Kero slumped his shoulders in defeat. "C'mon! If I can see them, then I can describe them to Tomoyo and she can sketch from there."

Chuckling, Tomoyo nodded. "That would be wonderful, Kero. Would you?"

"Of course." He grinned. "And while I'm at it, I'll tell you all about my totally awesome true form and how brilliantly my aura shines!"

"True form." Sakura mouthed. "Kero, you can turn into your true form whenever you want now, right?"

"Sure can!" He boasted.

"And your true form can fly."

"Yup!"

"So, why have you been riding in my backpack, when you could be flying us to the Moon Temple?" She huffed.

"Uh-" He froze. "Um, well you see-"

He watched Sakura's eyes carefully. "Now wait-"

Eriol chuckled. "He can't do that."

Kero breathed a sigh of relief.

"What? Why not?"

"Keroberos is strong, but it would take far too much energy to fly all three of us for any substantial distance."

"Glasses boy is right." the guardian quickly chimed in. "I'd tucker out after a few minutes with three people on my back."

"Oh." She blushed, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Kero. I didn't know."

He crossed his paws and floated over to her shoulder. "Sorry isn't gonna cut it."

"But Kero, I didn't know and-"

"I might be willing to forgive you though."

Sakura slumped, knowing full well where this was going."How about if I pick up a cake the next time we stop in a town?"

"Hmm?" His eyes twinkled. "Just for me?"

She sighed. "Yes. Just for you."

"Yay! Yay!" He twirled happily.

Tomoyo giggled softly at the exchange. "Kero's forgiveness comes at a high cost, huh?" She whispered to her deflated friend.

"I think I'm going to have to open a bakery someday to keep up."

"Probably."

vvvvvvvvvv

They walked until it the sun set when Eriol suggested they were in a good place to set up camp. Glad to find relief from aching feet, the girls helped build a fire and rolled out sleeping bags. Kero, having been promised cake, was in a good enough mood to help them gather the firewood they needed. In no time, Eriol and Tomoyo cooked some vegetable skewers from the remaining supplies in their packs.

Sakura paused mid bite. "Eriol?"

He set the skewer down and smiled. He was expecting her next question. "Yes?"

"I've been thinking about the fight with Keroberos."

Kero's ear twitched, but he kept eating.

She continued. "When Keroberos attacked me, why didn't you stop him with your magic. I mean, I saw you stop that group of soldiers before with the vines and I just thought-" Sakura furrowed her brows. "Oh, this isn't coming out right!"

"It's okay, Sakura. I understand your question." He replied easily. "I could have stepped in and stopped Keroberos, but I wanted to give you the chance to discover your own power."

She inclined her head. "My own power?"

"Rest assured that I would never let any harm come to you, Sakura. However, I have seen great magical feats from you. I simply knew that you would succeed without my help." He paused to look into her confused green eyes. "I believe in you."

Not far away, Syaoran's fur stood on end. He believes in her? What a load of crap! He's just after her- Syaoran had to stop the thought before it made itself known to Sakura. Thankfully, she seemed to have gained some control over her telepathy lately. That certainly made it easier to keep an eye on her. Not thinking about anything at all when the thing that you're trying not to think about it right in front of you and it keeps on popping into your head- He shook his head roughly.

"You do?"

The sound of her gentle voice pulled his mind away from his own thoughts for the moment. From his vantage point, he could see Sakura look up into Eriol's eyes thoughtfully. He suppressed a growl, but kept watching.

"Yes, and I am starting to believe that my true purpose here is to make sure that you are able to harness that power, Sakura." Eriol patted her hand.

Syaoran felt the low rumble escape his muzzle. What's he think he's doing patting her hand? And saying all that, 'she can do it on her own,' stuff? That girl is a klutz and she needs to be protected!

Eriol smiled a bit, sensing Syaoran's aura nearby. He was hiding it well, but the familiar forest green glow couldn't belong to anyone else. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right. Remember that and you'll be fine." He released her hand. "Now, why don't we start your aura lesson."

"Right now?" She asked. "We haven't even finished eating yet."

"It's okay, For now, I'll just explain a few things. We can have practice time later."

"That would be okay then, I guess."

Eriol picked up a twig and traced a circle in the sand. "Your aura is a reflection of yourself. As such, it mirrors you completely, in everything from its strength to its shape. Now," He paused to make sure she was paying attention. "you already know that if you are a normal person, you have a very small aura, but if you have magic," He drew a larger circle around the first. "it's bigger."

Sakura took a bite of her kabob and nodded.

"There are other subtleties to an aura that you may not have picked up on."

"Like maybe how you are feeling?" Tomoyo volunteered.

"Well done, Tomoyo." He chuckled. "You have amazing intuition."

"Thank you. But, I really just want to know for Sakura's sake. If I know about all of this magic stuff, then I can help her in every way possible." She returned.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "Thank you."

"Very well. I shall continue." The blue-haired boy started drawing again. This time, he made a rather squiggly circle. "It is as Tomoyo guessed. Aside from strength, auras also illustrate your state of being."

"State of being?" The girls asked in unison.

"See this?" He pointed to the squiggle. "If you were unsettled, emotionally stressed, or in trouble, your aura would be turbulent like this. And if you were in serious danger, it would flare wildly like this." He drew an explosion of points around the circle in a rigid zig zag pattern.

"Well, that's helpful." Tomoyo said. "If you are in danger, other people with magic would know, right?"

"Exactly." Eriol replied. "But there's more to it than that. Auras can tell you a lot more about someone than just that." He chanced a sideways glance in Syaoran's general direction. Good, he was still there. "If you know what to look for, you can even see emotions in an aura."

"Really?" Sakura put her food down, completely distracted from eating.

Tomoyo couldn't resist asking. "So, you could see if someone was angry, for example?"

"Yes. And much more." Eriol stated simply. "Anger, sadness, fear, joy, nervousness, even love; they're all visible to those with the power and the willingness to look for them."

"So, how do you look for emotions?" Tomoyo asked.

Eriol put the stick down. "That is a skill that is very difficult to learn and it can't really be taught. You have to be able to see those things in your own aura, before you can search for them in others. The human heart is the most difficult thing to predict after all." He said calmly. "First, we should practice something a bit more useful to us at this moment in time."

"Like what?" Sakura spoke up, obviously curious.

"Well, that takes us to the practical part of the lesson."

"So, let's continue." She hurried.

"I thought you wanted to finish eating?"

She reddened. "Well, I think I'm full now anyway."

Tomoyo giggled.

"Alright then. Let's move on with our lesson." Eriol stated. "Today, I will teach you how to conceal your aura."

Syaoran slipped further from the travelers until he could barely make out Sakura's scent. If they were going to study auras, there was a chance that Sakura would notice him. He already got the sinking feeling that Eriol knew he was there. 'I don't know what he is, but he's got amazingly strong magic.' Syaoran thought to himself. 'But what is he after? Why help Sakura?' He shuddered thinking about the reason he gave on his arrival. 'Sakura's partner?' He scoffed. 'Of course not. That's ridiculous.' But a part of him didn't find it ridiculous; part of him believed it. 'And why should it matter?' He thought. 'If he's Sakura's partner, there's no problem. It doesn't change my mission right? I follow them and get cured.'

Was there really a cure? He only assumed that following Sakura would lead to a cure. There was no concrete proof that one existed. 'It's the only lead I have, right?' He closed his eyes and focused on Sakura's aura. It was there, but barely. His heart jumped suddenly. 'Relax, they're just practicing concealing auras.' Syaoran breathed deep and searched again. With renewed calm, he sensed the small but healthy aura. His eyes flashed open. 'I need more distance. Something in her aura is messing with my senses. That's gotta be it.' He turned away, shaking his head. 'It's time to find some food anyway.' Syaoran jogged deeper into the forest, food the farthest thing from his troubled mind.

vvvvvvvvvv

After an hour, Sakura could conceal her aura down to almost a non-magic person level. "Excellent work, Sakura. You are a very powerful magician." He patted her on the back gently.

"Thanks." She smiled. "I feel a bit tired though."

"Concealing your aura can be tiring. It's like holding back a part of yourself." He replied. "Why don't you girls turn in for the night. I'll take care of putting out the fire."

"Thank you, Eriol." Sakura stood slowly. "Good night then!"

"Good night." Tomoyo echoed, following her friend to their sleeping bags.

"Good night girls."

Eriol climbed into his own sleeping bag and watched the stars twinkle in silence. It didn't take long for the girls to fall asleep. Sakura drifted off almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. The poor girl must have been exhausted from the long day of training. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. 'There is so much she doesn't know.' He thought to himself. 'It's such a hefty burden that she must bear for the mistakes of the past.' Opening his eyes, he glanced at Sakura's sleeping form. 'I hope that you'll be able to set things right again.'

vvvvvvvvvv

"Report Sergeant." Yue dismounted and peered down at his subordinate.

The fat man saluted before speaking, "Y-yes General. We've made good headway today and it seems as though we can be at Tomoeda's gates within a few days."

He lifted his eyes skyward. "Tell me, Sergeant, how many days is a few?"

"W-well, by all accounts, we estimate-"

"How many?"

He bowed. "Five days sir- I mean, General."

"Hmm." Yue reached out to stroke his horse's mane. "This is acceptable."

"It is?"

"It is." He turned to face the crowd of soldiers setting up camp. "Gentlemen." He started. The crowd silenced instantly. "In a mere three days, we will be at the gates of Tomoeda." He grinned slightly. "And by week's end, Tomoeda will be no more and our revenge will be complete!"

The army roared in response. Soldiers beat swords against shields and shouted victory cheers at the top of their lungs. Yue watched with approval as the black aura rose from his troops, billowing over them in waves. Five days. Yes, he could wait three more days. After all, he had already waited more than a hundred years. Acceptable indeed.

vvvvvvvvvv

**A/N: **Okay, I really can't apologize enough for the LOOOOOOONG lapse in my writing. But I am sorry. I do intend to finish this story, it's just spun into a bigger plot than I originally planned. I hope that it still makes sense and is still interesting for you readers. Please keep reading and reviewing


	8. Chapter 07: The Past

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 7: The Past**

It was late afternoon and once again, Fujitaka sat at his desk flipping through a small volume Eriol gave him. Based on his research, the book was definitely written by Clow Reed himself. He was well known for his cryptic messages and use of ancient languages. Legend had it that everything he wrote was laced with magic, making it nearly impossible for anyone but the intended reader to decipher. Fujitaka had never heard of such magic, but then again, there weren't many sorcerers left in Tomoeda. After Clow's passing, many refused to teach their skills and so the number dwindled over time. In a mere two generations, it seemed as though magic disappeared from Tomoeda entirely. Though, he remembered with a slight smile, his own son had a touch of what might be magic. Touya had a sixth sense about things. He claimed to be able to see ghosts since he was a little boy and he often had hunches that turned out to be right.

He chuckled. These 'hunches' of Touya usually led to part time jobs. Somehow, he'd manage to be in the right place at the right time when a business needed an extra hand. Even now, he was working as a guard in town because he broke up a fight between two shopkeepers yesterday and the captain of the guard happened to be passing by as he wrapped it up. Knowing Touya, he would likely work late into the night. Fujitaka's smile faded. They certainly needed more guards now. Rumor had it that an army from Shara was sighted a few days from Tomoeda castle. People were getting restless and nervous. "It's a good thing Sakura is safe at Sonomi's place." He said to himself. At any time the capitol might fall under attack. The curfew kept getting earlier and earlier these days. Soon no one would be able to walk the streets. Even now, the last few people on the streets packed up their things and headed home. There was talk of evacuation and many already left town of their own accord.

Sighing, he returned to the book. He turned page after page, scanning each one for a possible clue. What purpose did the Wind Cave and other magical sites have? Why would Clow Reed disperse his magic? What really happened that made him commit to sacrificing his own life? Fujitaka reached a blank page. "I may not have Touya's sixth sense, but I know that there is something more to this book. Clow did things with purpose. He had a reason for writing this book, I just need to understand what that is." He ran his finger along the blank page - wait, blank page? "There wasn't a blank page here before. What is this?" He picked the book up off the desk and flipped forward. "It's all blank! What happened?"

Suddenly, the book glowed and lifted free of his hands, floating gently in the air. An unnatural wind swirled around the room. "What is this?" Fujitaka shielded his face from the gust. The light dissipated and revealed the book, still floating over the desk. "Amazing." He breathed, reaching out to touch the book. "What is this?" As his hand closed around the cover, the pages filled with writing. "The truth must be known, for we cannot learn from our mistakes unless we admit to them." He read aloud. "Incredible! It's somehow translated itself into Japanese." Then, remembering that guards patrolled the halls regularly, he calmed himself and continued reading. Soon, the sentences came to life before his eyes as images swirled together wrapping him in years gone by. He didn't even notice as his body sleepily slumped forward onto the desk.

"Amazing." He breathed as he found himself in a very expensive-looking room filled with people in even more expensive-looking clothes. The people didn't notice him as they danced, drank, and talked. "It must be some sort of ball." Fujitaka said to himself. "And judging by the clothing, I'm looking at something from more than 100 years ago."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A strong voice boomed over the din. "Tomoeda's most accomplished sorcerer, Clow Reed!"

"Clow Reed?" Fujitaka turned with the rest of the crowd to see a smiling man with long, dark hair and glasses on the grand staircase. He wore dark blue, almost black robes with a sun and moon motif. On his left stood a lion-like beast with golden fur. The creature looked somewhat bored. That is, until he spotted the banquet table. The beast gleefully pushed past the crowd and stood up on his hind legs. Then, he proceeded to skewer food with his claws and eat as though they were utensils. Fujitaka fought the urge to laugh.

After a moment, he was able to pull his attention back to the staircase. Clow walked toward the crowd, greeting individuals as he went. Meanwhile, two steps behind him, a tall man with long, white hair and the most brilliantly blue eyes that Fujitaka had ever seen folded his arms and surveyed the crowd with a scowl. "I wonder who he is?" In his stupor, he didn't notice a young servant carrying a tray of food headed straight for him. "Look out!" He flinched, but the servant boy ignored his call and walked - right through him. The archaeologist stared curiously at his own hand. "So, it looks like I can only see what's going on here, not interact with it. Interesting. I wonder if this is what it's like to be a ghost?" Deciding to embrace his newfound ghostliness, Fujitaka walked through the crowd to stand right in front of Clow. He studied the sorcerer for a few moments, before the man stared right through him and, surprisingly, winked at him. "What is going on?" Fujitaka turned around to see what the sorcerer was looking at. Others packed in behind him, but they chatted normally with each other. He looked back. "You can see me, can't you?"

'Why shouldn't I be able to see myself, I wonder?' Resonated in his mind.

"See," he pondered, "myself? What does that mean."

'Exactly what I said. You are me, or at least some part of me. My, but things are interesting in the future, aren't they?' Clow continued to smile and stare. His lips never moved. 'Now, you might want to pay attention, this is important.'

"What? Pay attention to what?"

"Clow! I thought you'd never get here, there is someone I would like you to meet." A tall man with reddish brown hair approached Clow with a grin. He wore a rich, red suit, decorated with a Tomoeda's coat of arms. A sword hung lazily on his belt while on his head, Fujitaka noticed, sat a simple metal crown.

"Your highness." Clow gave a slight bow. "It is good to see you as always, and I would love to meet your guest."

"Please," the King waved a hand, "You know that I hate the formalities of the court. If I didn't have this thing," He gestured to the crown. "Firmly stuck on my head, I'd insist on going by Yoshiyuki."

"I think it's best that we stick with King Terada." Clow laughed. "Otherwise, sorcerer or not, they might kick me out of such a fancy party."

"Pfft." The King sighed. "It wasn't my idea, but wait, I am forgetting my manners." He turned and gestured to a young lady who was chatting casually with a number of young men. She caught sight of the gesture and bowed to the group, before hurrying over.

"Clow, this is Meiling Rae. She is betrothed to the eldest son of the Li family, to be wed next spring." King Terada smiled. "She is also an astonishing martial artist. She is visiting for the next few months to help train our troops in hand to hand combat." He continued proudly.

The young woman seemed pleased with the introduction. "It is a pleasure to finally meet the powerful sorcerer that I've heard so much about." She bowed. As she stood, Fujitaka studied her. She couldn't be more than 20 years old. Black hair, red eyes. She wore a dress of the same red with a foreign style. It had a high collar and gold trim. Even from this distance, he could tell she was strong. The woman carried herself well. Toned muscles showed themselves as she moved to shake Clow's hand.

"I see that my Mother's family has chosen well. I look forward to calling you cousin." Clow shook her hand with a smile. "But, I am being rude, I should also introduce my guest. Yue?"

At Clow's bidding, the man with white hair stepped forward, carefully avoiding brushing up against the other guests. "You called, master?"

"Yue, I would like you to meet the Lady Meiling."

He stiffly bowed before meeting the woman's eyes. "Lady Meiling, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am-" Then, he froze. "I- I- am, uh." Yue looked like he suddenly lost control of his voice.

"I think he called you, Yue right?" The girl didn't miss a beat. "It's a pretty name. It means 'moon' where I come from." She smiled and took his hand, though he hadn't offered it.

Clow continued, ignoring Yue's discomfort. "Yue is quite the archer and he enjoys combat as well. Perhaps you two would like to spar sometime?"

Meiling's eyes lit up. "Really? That'd be wonderful! I've been so busy whipping those boys into shape in the yard, I haven't had a real match in ages!" She clasped Yue's hand within her own and nearly bounced up and down. "Would you like to have a match tomorrow?"

Yue nodded blankly, unsure of what exactly was going on around him at the moment.

The King chuckled. "It's sad, but true. Meiling has a long way to go before the men will be able to fend for themselves." His expression soured. "I need them to be in top form what with Shara threatening our borders lately."

A chill ran down Fujitaka's spine. "The war must be starting soon."

'Yes.' Clow's voice invaded his mind again. 'I had visions around this time of a dark, bloody moon over Tomoeda. I thought that it could be war, after all, our relationship with Shara was strained at best. However, I failed to see the real problem that was unfolding right before my eyes.'

The scene shifted. Guest's brightly colored clothes dissolved into rich banners on posts outside of stone walls. Fujitaka now stood in an open yard adjacent to the castle. The sun shone brightly overhead. In a dirt circle, two figures stood stock still, crouched in fighting stances. "What's going on over there?" He mused, walking closer. In the circle, Yue and Meiling stood opposite one another, staring ahead. Both had taken fighting positions, though neither one made a move. "What are they waiting for?" Fujitaka wondered out loud.

'They are both skilled warriors; the first one to make a move may lose the fight.' Clow's voice echoed again. Then, a hand placed itself on Fujitaka's shoulder and he jumped.

"What? I thought I couldn't interact with things here." He asked, panicking.

'You cannot.' The sorcerer replied simply.

"Then why-"

'Because this is a world that I created for myself. As a warning. What good would such a thing be if you didn't have a guide?'

Fujitaka studied the man. He seemed real enough, and yet, if you looked closely, you could almost see through him. "But-"

'Look, they are about to begin.'

"Huh?" Sure enough, the two fighters sprang into action. Meiling dropped down and spun around, sweeping her leg along the ground where Yue had been standing a moment ago. He dodged quickly, then countered with a quick jab. The young woman managed to bend backwards and avoid the strike. She smiled and continued her assault with a series of strikes.

Fujitaka watched the combatants in awe. They traded blow for blow without pause. One attacked, the other countered in an endless dance. He held his breath as they moved, nearly getting through the other's defenses. Finally, after endless somersaults, Meiling vaulted over Yue's shoulder. She grinned as she finally got close enough to strike, but Yue quickly caught her wrist and dropped to his knees. The young woman's smile faded as her course changed. Meiling landed roughly on her back, while Yue followed through his attack to land on top of her. One hand pinned her shoulder to the ground while the other formed a blade at her throat. Both breathed heavily, but did not stir.

"Ugh." Meiling sighed. "You're good."

Yue relaxed and cracked a small smile. "You fight very well. You use a style that I have not seen before." He stood up and offered a hand, which she took. "But I had a slight advantage in height."

Still holding his hand, Meiling replied. "That is true." Then, she spun under his hand and flipped him promptly onto the ground. "But what I lack in height, I make up for in tactics. "I never said the fight was over."

The two jumped back from each other and resumed fighting stances. "Another round then?" Yue asked.

"Maybe, when I've won this round!" Meiling replied charging forward.

The two men watched in silence for a few minutes as the fighting resumed before Fujitaka voiced the question that had plagued him since he arrived in this magical history world. "Why is it that I'm here? I mean, what am I supposed to be seeing?"

Clow smiled ruefully. 'So that you may see what I did not.'

"What you didn't see?"

'Yes. Look there.' He gestured towards the combatants.

The image of their battle shimmered and dissolved to reveal the two of them sharing a meal. Then, it quickly shifted to a scene of Yue offering her a red rose. She accepted it with a blush. Another shift. Now, they were riding horses together. Fujitaka looked back at Clow, who stood completely still at his side through the changing scenery. "They're in love."

He nodded.

"I don't understand. Why is that a problem?"

'You will see.'

The room melted again and reformed into a lonely garden path. A crescent moon glowed faintly in the sky, making it hard to see. The garden was bare, without flowers or leaves on the trees. Meiling stood alone, staring at the moon while hugging a thick coat close to her body. Moments later, Fujitaka watched Yue approach her from the castle. "Meiling." He whispered softly. When she didn't respond, he walked closer and reached for her shoulder.

"Don't."

"Meiling?" He drew back. "Why?"

She remained silent for some time before answering. "Because I can't do this anymore."

"This?"

"Us!" She cried, tears threatening to spill from her watery eyes. "Yue, I'm engaged! And you- you aren't even human!"

Yue took step back, stunned. "That doesn't matter!"

"It does!" Meiling yelled. "It matters to me."

"But-"

"When I found out I was to be engaged, I was unhappy. It was always my duty to marry into another noble house, I didn't like it, but I accepted the duty willingly." A few stray tears dribbled down her cheeks. "When I came here to take my mind off of it, I met you and- and I found an escape. We had fun together. You were like the big brother I never had. I even- I even started to care for you m-more than I should have."

"Meiling, you know that I-"

"Wait!" She cried. "Please, please don't say it. Let me finish."

Fujitaka risked a glance at Clow. He watched the scene with a serious face.

The dark-haired girl wiped her tears away before continuing. "Then, last month, I met my fiancé. His name is Shen Long Li. I went prepared to hate him, but I- He's like me. In a family of powerful sorcerer's, he has no magical ability. He understood me. We spent a few days together and I discovered that I care for him too. Before I left, he proposed to me."

Yue went blank, no emotion showing on his face. It began to snow.

She sniffled. "When I thought about it, really thought about my own heart. I knew. I love him." She approached Yue with a sad smile. "Somewhere inside, there has always been a warning, telling me that you and I cannot be together. I ignored it for a long while, because it was fun being with you, but in the end I would grow old and die while you remained this way forever. You are very important to me, and I know that I could never forget you on my own." At this, she put a hand to his face and caressed his cheek gently. "I want my marriage to work. I want to love Shen Long with all my heart."

His facade broke at her touch. He reached for her hand. "But to ask Clow to erase your memories? That's going too far!" Yue countered. "Don't you care about me?"

"Forgive me. I care too much." She replied. "That's why, this is how it must be."

He squeezed her hand gently. "Meiling. Please reconsider. We could run away together. We could be together!"

"It won't work and you know it. In here." She moved their hands over his heart. "Clow made you too human, you know?"

"But-"

Meiling dropped her hands and stepped back, shaking her head. "You know how stubborn I am once I've made up my mind?" She wiped her eyes. "This is how it has to be." Then, she turned and ran.

Fujitaka didn't have time to ask any additional questions as the world around him spun and shifted yet again. This time, he ended up in what looked like a study of a large home. There was a fireplace with a tall, plush-looking chair in front of it. One large window revealed a snowy night. The only light in the room came from the blazing fire and meager moonlight seeping through mostly cloudy skies. In the chair, Clow sat, writing something in a familiar book. "Where are we now?"

Clow exhaled loudly beside him. 'My home. This is where it all came crashing down. Watch there.' He gestured toward the single door leading into the room. As if on cue, it burst open, revealing a disheveled Meiling.

The Clow in the chair closed his book and stood. "So, you've made up your mind then?"

She nodded, panting. "Yes, but I have another request."

"Yes, child?" Clow motioned for her to sit in the big chair. Once she did, he produced a blue, starry cloth to wipe her tears. "What is this request?"

Fujitaka looked from one Clow to the other. Both looked like they knew what she would say.

"I want you to erase Yue's memories of me as well." She whispered.

"That is a very serious request." Clow replied gently. "But I know that you have thought about it very seriously before coming to me, yes?"

"Yes." She answered. "Just as I could not forget him, he will not be able to forget me. I could see it in his eyes. Neither of us can be free chained by our memories."

"Once the memories are gone, you will not be able to recover them." He said. "You will be as strangers."

At this, a forlorn-looking girl appeared behind Meiling's chair. She had long gray hair and wore a flowing white dress with strange winged ornaments coming out of her head. The girl hovered soundlessly. Neither Clow seemed disturbed by her presence. Fujitaka watched her warily.

"Are you sure?" Clow continued.

"Yes. I want both of us to be free to know real love." Meiling answered with a smile.

"As you wish."

The ghostly girl, passed through the chair and Meiling. The dark-haired girl stiffened as the ethereal being passed, then she slumped over in the chair. Fujitaka watched the girl as she hugged something glowing pink to her chest. The glowing orb pulsed and gradually dimmed as it vanished into the girl. She closed her eyes and gave a sad smile before turning to Clow. "It is done."

"Thank you." Clow said. "But I believe we have more work to do, to fulfill this girl's wish." He ruffled Meiling's hair affectionately. "I am uneasy. Now, more than ever, I feel the ill omen settling on Tomoeda. I fear there is more than war to worry about."

"I don't understand" Fujitaka asked Clow's spirit.

Clow closed his eyes and sighed before answering. 'I cared for them too much to notice that I was committing such a terrible act.'

"Terrible act?" He repeated.

'Erasing her memory of Yue.'

Fujitaka smiled. "As a parent, I think I can understand why. You only wanted to see them happy."

'I knew you would understand. However, understanding does not make it right.' Clow looked back at himself. 'I only hope that my mistakes do not repeat themselves.'

"I'm afraid I'm still not quite following you on that part."

'Watch and you will see.'

The past Clow suddenly looked up from Meiling's slumbering form and walked to the door. With careful timing, he opened it moments before Yue would have burst through. Instead, the winged guardian only stormed into the room, looking around in a panic. "Where is she?"

Clow pointed to the chair.

Instantly, he flew to her side. "Meiling? Please? Why?" When she didn't respond, he stood and turned on Clow. "Why did you do it, Clow? She was just confused! She loves me, I know she does!" He marched up to Clow and grabbed him by the front of his robes. "If you did it, then you can undo it! Fix her! Return her feelings for me!" He pushed Clow back against the wall. "Now!"

Clow didn't fight back. He simply stood and took the abuse with a sad smile. "She asked for this Yue. And she asked for something else."

He relaxed his grip slightly. "Something else?"

The strange girl appeared again next to Meiling. Yue noticed immediately. "What is she?"

"The spirit of void."

"Void?" Yue raised an eyebrow.

"A spirit of negative energy to balance my creations of positive energy."

"What is she doing here?"

"She is here to grant the second part of Meiling's wish."

Yue turned his attention back to Clow. "Which is?"

Clow replied with complete calm. "To erase your memories of her."

"No!" Yue yelled, throwing Clow back against the wall. "I will never forget her!"

"Yue-"

"Never!" The guardian whipped around to face the void spirit. "You will never take her memory away from me!" He raised his hand and formed shards of crystal in the air. They launched at the girl, and vanished as they collided. "What magic is this?" He tried again, but with the same result. "I won't forget, and I will make her remember!" Yue yelled as he turned back to Clow. "You have no idea what you've done! I will make you pay!" Instead of crystals, Yue formed a bow of silvery energy in front of him and notched an arrow of the same material. "She may be a spirit, but you are flesh and blood!"

"No Yue. You mustn't." Clow tried, but Yue ignored him.

"Die!" He launched a volley of arrows.

Fujitaka used his arms to protect his face from flying debris, until he realized again, that he was not part of this world. Bits of wood and metal flew through him as Clow brought up a barrier to protect himself from the assault. Magical arrows bounced off in nearly every direction, collapsing parts of the ceiling and putting holes in the walls. Yue stopped the attack for only a moment before advancing on Clow with his fists. They glowed a dangerous blue as he attacked. When a miss ripped a hand-sized slice in the wall, Fujitaka understood. This too, was magic.

"Yue. You really do not want to do this. Think of Meiling and what she wanted." Clow said between strikes. He deftly dodged the angry guardian by bobbing around as a leaf in the wind.

"I know what she wanted! And you took that away!" He lunged forward, missing by a hair. All of a sudden, he stopped. "No, I know what I have to do. I know what she would have wanted." Yue spoke clearly, but seemed off. He walked up to Meiling's sleeping form and scooped her up.

Clow watched him carefully, but did not move.

He stroked Meiling's cheek gently. "She thought that she would grow old and die and that I'd live forever." He moved to thread his fingers through her hair. "But that's not true. I couldn't go on without her." His gentle gaze became a cold glare. "So, we will go together." A ball of silvery energy appeared in Yue's hand. It pulsed and grew larger.

"No!" Clow leapt into action, running towards Yue and Meiling, chanting a spell as he went. The void spirit drifted back into the corner, shielding herself from the energy.

"Goodbye, Clow. Meiling." The ball of energy kept growing and the waves of power pushed Clow back. The house shook as the energy ball pushed against the walls and ceiling. It would collapse soon.

"Yue!"

The room filled with light. Fujitaka had to close his eyes and cover them to block it out. Then, in a flash, everything went dark and quiet. Hesitating only a moment, he opened his eyes and looked around. Floating where Yue had been was the ghostly void spirit. In her hands was a ball of blue and silver energy. She cradled it like a newborn baby. Meiling lay unmoving on the floor. Clow looked up at the spirit; terror evident in his features. "Void, what have you done?"

The girl smiled sadly. "The only thing I can do, take things away." With that, the ball of energy vanished into her. Suddenly, her form twisted and writhed before dropping to the floor next to Meiling.

"Void, no!" Clow scrambled to her side. "This has gone all wrong!"

The void started laughing. A very deep laugh for a girl. Before their eyes, the girl's wings folded around her. Seconds later, they opened revealing Yue again. "The world will pay for what you have done! I will make sure that everyone you ever cared about in this kingdom pays for your crimes!" He bellowed. Then, with a flash, he vanished.

Clow knelt on the floor next to Meiling. "What have I done?" He watched her breathe slowly, completely unaware of the chaos that had just been unleashed on the world. "Now I understand the dark moon over Tomoeda in my visions. I must stop Yue at any cost."

"Clow!" A voice boomed. Moments later, the yellow winged lion Fujitaka saw in the ballroom scene flew in through the shattered window. "Whoa! What happened? You okay?"

"I am fine, Keroberos." He stood slowly and dusted himself off. "Please go and tell the stable master that Lady Meiling requires a coach to Li castle. She wishes to leave as soon as possible."

"That's not important right now! This place is a mess! What the heck happened?" Kero circled around surveying the damage.

"But it is very important." He patted the guardian on the head. "See to it that the coach is safely arranged and that her bags are packed and loaded. I will explain once those things are taken care of."

Kero heaved a sigh, but lowered his head. "If you say so," he began, "but I expect a full explanation when I get back!"

"Of course, Keroberos."

Once more, the room lurched and spun. Fujitaka closed his eyes to avoid the vertigo-inducing change in time and space. At least now he knew what to expect. When he opened his eyes, he stood on a bloody battlefield. There were bodies and bits of debris everywhere. It took most of his strength to keep from throwing up over the sight. "This must be-"

'Yes. This is the day of that final battle. The day I died.' Clow's spirit said ruefully. 'When Yue disappeared, he travelled to Shara. They already didn't like Tomoeda, most especially me. Yue used Void's power to clear the minds of influential people and drive them to start the war.'

"But you created him, right? Couldn't you stop him before this happened?"

Clow's spirit shook his head. 'Had I noticed sooner, perhaps I could have.' He pointed to a spot on the field. 'It is time.'

Fujitaka looked back to the battlefield where indeed, Clow and Yue were now squaring off. Yue smirked as he stepped closer. "Soon, I will destroy all of Tomoeda and you along with it. It will be erased, just like the memories you stole from her!"

"Yue, please." Clow raised his staff in front of him. "End this senseless fighting. I have seen terrible visions of what will come of it."

He laughed. "So, you can see the future, yet you could not see what I felt for her?" A dark ball appeared on the ground next to Clow. He quickly dodged before the ground and everything on it vanished. "Funny isn't it? The very power you used to take everything away from me is going to take everything away from you."

"Then, there is no convincing you?"

"Die!" He summoned another ball of darkness.

"Earthy, shield us!" A blue barrier formed around Clow and Yue, forcing the dark sphere away.

"What foolishness is this? Why trap yourself in here with me?" Yue scoffed. "Do you really think this barrier will protect the others? Once you're dead, it will vanish and I'll be free to wipe Tomoeda off the face of the earth."

Clow remained silent, chanting something under his breath. Fujitaka watched wide-eyed as four spirits appeared beside the powerful wizard.

"What trickery is this?" Yue lunged forward. "This has gone on long enough!"

"Yes." Clow replied. "It has."

WIth a sickening sound, Yue's magically-enhance strike pierced through Clow's chest. "Die."

Clow smiled despite the obvious pain. "I'm-" he choked. "I'm truly- truly sorry, it had to come to this."

Yue faltered and drew back. From his own chest protruded a blade made of magic, driven into him by the four spirits. "The spirits?" He coughed. "But why?"

Clow fell back onto the grass. "That spell will bind you for some time." He struggled to get the words out. "Without my magic to- to fuel you, all of you will s-sleep."

"All?" Yue coughed.

"You, Keroberos, the s-spirits. Every-everything connected to me." Yue's eyes closed as his body sparkled, becoming a ball of light. The ball hung in the air for a moment, then sped off into the distance.

"N-now, my friends," Clow whispered. "Please?"

The spirits nodded as one and then began a spell of their own. Clow's body glowed for a moment before two shapes formed over him. They remained for a moment, then disappeared. The glow faded. The spirits, one by one, became pieces of paper. Then, as the ball of light had, they flew away at an astonishing pace in different directions. Everything slowed down, as thought time stopped. The world grew dark and soundless.

"So that's how it happened." Fujitaka whispered. "Clow?" He turned around, but did not see anything.

'I foresaw it only the night before.' Clow's voice echoed in the pitch black space.

"What?"

'The one who will finally defeat Yue will be someone close to you. My heir. I left this message for myself so that I could stop history from repeating itself.'

Fujitaka could no longer see anything, but he still found his voice. "Someone close to me?"

'Know this.' Clow's voice grew more distant, as though he were fading away. 'When Yue wakes, my heir will rise to face the challenge. Let her know the power of two, the power of the heart. That power will pierce the darkness and bring change.'

"What does that mean?" he called out to the darkness.

'Though I may cause trouble for her, I am sure that she'll be all right.'

WIth a sudden jolt, Fujitaka found himself back in the chair in his study, Touya's hand rested on his shoulder.

"Are you okay Dad?"

He looked up to see a the morning sun glinting through a narrow gap the thick curtains. "I didn't realize I fell asleep. It must have been a dream." Still, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right.

"Dad?"

"Sorry about that Touya." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes carefully. "When did you get back?"

The younger man shook his head. "Just a minute ago. But Dad, we have to talk."

"About what?"

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a piece of paper. "You need to see this."

Fujitaka took the paper, which upon closer inspection he recognized as a letter. A letter signed by Sonomi Daidouji. He skimmed through the letter quickly, hoping it would tell him that everything was fine. As he read, his expression turned grim. "But I don't understand. Where would Sakura go if not here? You don't think something bad has happened to her?"

Touya frowned. "I don't think she's in trouble yet. But she's gonna be when I get a hold of her."

"So, where do we start looking?"

'She is closer than you think.' A feminine voice tinkled in Touya's ear. He was not surprised when he turned to see his Mother's spirit floating next to him. 'Trust your heart. You'll know where to find her.'

Touya considered this for a moment. He had somehow always known where to find Sakura was when she was getting into trouble. Why should this time be any different? Taking a breath, he concentrated on his sister. Almost instantly he felt a tug.

'I knew you could do it.' His Mother smiled brightly. 'But you must go quickly. You don't have much time. Good luck.' In a flash, she was gone.

"Come on, let's get moving." He announced.

"You know where she is?"

"Not entirely. But I have a feeling." He picked up a backpack from the floor and tossed it to his father before scooping up his own. "Let's get a move on before the little monster gets herself into any more trouble."

vvvvvvvvvv

After another long day of travel, Eriol watched Sakura stir in her sleep. A quick check indicated that Tomoyo and Kero slept as well. Curious, he placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and concentrated. Images floated into his consciousness.

Atop a tower, something moved. The full moon illuminated the silhouette of a person holding a sword. Sakura floated high in the air and watched a copy of herself standing calmly atop another building. From the sky, Sakura watched herself jump forward and fly closer to the shadowed figure. 'It's this dream again.' she thought to herself. 'But this time, it's like I'm watching it from outside. How strange.' The dream Sakura wore a pink top with a long white skirt and belt sash that bobbed with the wind.

Above her, something glimmered and drew her eye. She turned her attention to the surrounding skies. Steel blue eyes and swaying robes floated in silhouette before the full moon. It was some kind of winged person. Its wings spread wide for a moment and she noticed something in his hand.

'A bow?'

Turning back to face the shadowed man on the building, she saw him reach for the dream Sakura.

'Who are you?' Sakura wondered, looking carefully at the man. Despite the moonlight, he remained in shadow. She strained her eyes to see any detail, anything- In flashes, she saw him. Green robes. Messy brown hair. And piercing amber eyes. She blinked, and the image was gone, replaced by the scene around her.

She saw dream Sakura reach out for him. Their fingers drew close, close enough to touch - but only just. From the air, the winged figure moved. A silver streak split the air, striking the man and knocking him back. Sakura watched herself fall. Fast. From her new vantage point, Sakura saw the man fall to his knees and lean over the edge. He clutched his chest and leaned over the edge, reaching for her. "Sakura!"

'That voice.' She thought. 'So familiar.'

But the dream didn't end there. Sakura watched herself fall into darkness. The man just sat there, staring in silence. Movement in the sky made her blink. Then, he was there, the winged man from the sky. He stood next to the kneeling man, who did not move. With one hand, he lifted the man from the ground by his throat. Sakura saw a brief flash of amber as the man dangled helplessly, not fighting back. Suddenly, the winged man drove a glowing hand through his captive.

"No!" Sakura's eyes shot open as she screamed.

"Sakura?" Eriol held her gently. "Are you okay?"

"Who- What?" She fidgeted, looking all around for a moment before her vision cleared. "Eriol, when did you-"

He smiled. "You looked like you were having a nightmare. Then, you suddenly sat up wide awake."

"I did?" Sakura breathed heavily, calming herself. "I guess I did. It was just this dream I keep having."

"Oh?" He released her carefully and sat neatly next to her sleeping bag. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She stared at Eriol for a second, thinking. 'If I tell him, he'll just think it's silly.'

'I assure you, I won't laugh.' Eriol's calm voice echoed in her mind.

"Hoe!" She leaned back, caught off guard. Then, she sighed. "I was doing it again, wasn't I?"

"Yes."

"Sorry." She scratched her head nervously. "I thought I had control over that. I didn't mean to let that slip."

Eriol continued smiling. "It's quite all right, Sakura. It's probably better that we continue through telepathy anyway." He gestured towards Tomoyo, who shifted in her sleep not far from them. In her mind, he continued. 'You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.'

She couldn't help but return his smile. Eriol was just so nice. 'It's okay. I want to.'

'Here.' Eriol used a bit of magic to relight the fire in the center of their camp. 'We might as well be comfortable, right?'

'Thanks.' She smiled, scooting closer to the warmth of the fire.

Eriol took the opportunity to look past the smiling girl with his magical senses. Sure enough, not far into the woods was a familiar green aura. He struggled to contain a smirk as he noticed the way that tendrils of the green aura reached out for Sakura's pink one. He returned focus to Sakura, who looked slightly confused.

'Did you see something? You were staring.'

'Oh no.' he replied. 'Just observing something interesting.'

'Really? What?' She turned around to see what Eriol might have noticed.

'Sakura, how are you doing with your aura training?'

'Hmm?' She faced him. 'Well, I think I can control it pretty well now. I've been practicing hiding it, if that's what you mean.'

'You are learning to control your power, as you should. But I'm talking about something a little different. I want you to look with your senses now and tell me what you see.' Eriol directed.

Sakura closed her eyes and reached out with her magical senses as Eriol taught her. Right away, the blue of his aura made itself visible. Nearby, she could sense Tomoyo's dull purple and Kero's gold. Then, she smiled. He was a fair ways off, but at the edge of her senses, Syaoran's green aura appeared. It felt strangely warm.

'What do you see?'

'Nothing bad, just us. You, me, Tomoyo, Kero, and- Syaoran.' She replied.

'Ah, good, so you can sense him too.' Eriol said calmly. 'That is a good test, since he is a fair distance out from us. Farther than your average sorcerer could see, for sure.'

At this, her smile dropped. 'He's staying so far away. Do you know why he left?'

'Not completely.' He mused. 'But I have an inkling.'

'He doesn't hate me, does he?' The question came out before she could stop it. 'I mean- I tried to be friends, and for a while we were getting a long well, but lately-'

'No, it's certainly not hate. Quite different really.'

She sighed, relieved. 'Then, why?'

'You will find out in time, when he is ready to tell you himself. However, I think I can give you a hint.'

'A hint?'

Eriol watched the girl carefully. Eyes closed, the girl scrunched her face cutely. He sensed happiness in her aura again, real happiness. A tinge of anxiety ran through it as well. Such a shame that things weren't turning out the way he'd planned. Ah well, this way made things more fun. He continued gently. 'You are happy and anxious right now.'

'Huh?' She wondered. 'How do you know that? And how is that a hint?'

'Your aura tells me.'

Sakura paused to think. 'Wait a second. You said something like that before, right? Something like, if I can see things in my own aura, I'll be able to pick them out in others?'

'Very good, Sakura. Exactly right. Now, why don't you tell me about this dream?'

'Huh?' she stopped hard, her train of thought totally derailed. 'Oh, right, that's what we were planning to talk about in the first place!' She would have remember to think about the emotions in her aura later. Especially if she wanted to sleep tonight. 'Well, the dream goes like this: I'm standing on some building and it's night. There's a full moon and across the way, I see this boy. I can't see him clearly, but this time, I got a better glimpse.' She paused to think. 'He's wearing green robes and he has brown hair and eyes, but in the light, the eyes glow amber. They're such intense eyes too. Like they see right through me.' She shivered despite the warm fire nearby.

'Hmm, anything else? You woke up with quite a start. I don't imagine you were scared of this boy?'

'No, no. He wasn't scary at all. More like- I don't know. He was hidden in the shadows. Mysterious maybe? But not scary.'

'So, what happens next?'

'Then, I noticed someone else. There's a man with wings. Everything about him is white except for his icy blue eyes. He's the scary one. And he's got some kind of bow.' Sakura stopped, feeling slightly embarrassed about the next part. Reminder herself several times over that Eriol promised he wouldn't laugh at her, she continued. 'I'm flying towards the boy, and our hands almost touch, but then the winged man shoots him with an arrow. The next thing I know, I'm falling and the boy is calling my name-'

After a moment of silence, Eriol placed a hand on her shoulder. She started and opened her eyes, eyes that welled up with tears. 'It's okay, Sakura.'

'But, the boy-' she stuttered mentally, 'after that- this last time, I saw- I saw- The winged man he picked the boy up and then he- he-' Small sobs wracked her body. 'I'm afraid! He killed the boy. Killed him, just like that! It's terrible! And I have this horrible feeling that it's going to happen!' She threw herself forward and cried into his shirt. 'I've never met him before, but I feel like I should know who he is. Even if I don't know him, I can't- I just don't want to see anyone killed like that!'

Eriol let her cry for a while before replying. 'You are very gifted with magic, Sakura. And those who are so gifted, often have premonition dreams.'

'Premonition dreams?'

'Dreams about the future. Glimpses of what may be.'

'Then,' she reeled back in horror. 'It is going to happen! That boy is going to be killed! I can't let that happen! I won't!'

'It's okay.' He soothed. 'Your dreams may show the future, but they reveal only one possible future. You must have hope.'

'Hope?'

'Yes, hope. The power of the heart that can change the future.' He smiled. 'And more than hope, once you have it, you must act on it.'

'I don't understand, how can hoping change the future?'

Eriol sighed. 'I think that it may be time to tell you about Yue.'

'Yue?'

'Yes, the other Clow guardian. But first, I want you to get some sleep. There's precious little night left and it is a long story, one that should be shared with your companions as well.'

Sakura huffed. 'How am I supposed to sleep now that you've told me that? I can't possibly-'

Eriol waved a hand over her head and she wobbled.

'But, I'm not slee- py-' She slumped next to him.

With care, Eriol laid her down and folded the blanket around her. The story needed to be shared with everyone, especially Syaoran. In truth, Sakura's dream worried him a little, but only a little. 'If it's Sakura, I'm sure she'll be all right. Though I guess I'm not going to sleep tonight.' He laughed inwardly. Smiling to himself he walked off into the woods, certain that his upcoming conversation with the little wolf would be something to remember for many lifetimes.

vvvvvvvvvv

The sound of crunching leaves startled Syaoran out of his light slumber. He quickly got to his feet and tucked himself in between some trees. Cloaked in darkness, he honed his magical senses. The familiar aura made him grunt in recognition. 'What is he doing here?'

'I'm here because you and I need to talk.' Eriol echoed in his mind.

'Talk? What could we possibly have to talk about?'

'Oh, I can think of a few things, Syaoran Li.'

Syaoran froze. 'You do know who I am!' He growled. 'That time at the river, I wasn't imagining things. You manipulated my reflection!'

'Did I?' the older boy moved closer, his face growing serious.

Syaoran held his ground.

'Proud as any Li I've ever met.' Eriol started. 'Yes, I've met others from the renowned Li family. I also know a great deal about you, Syaoran. You are the most gifted sorcerer your family has seen since Clow Reed himself. I also know that your family sent you to find the Clow spirits, to reclaim them as his heir.' He paused, 'Which, you know, was impossible from the start because Sakura is the true heir. A shame really, but you weren't willing to give up eh? So, you were cursed. And now, you're trapped and looking for a way to be human again.'

Syaoran suppressed a growl. 'How could you possibly know about all of that-'

'But it's not your history that surprises me actually.'

'Wait just a minute-'

'The heart is hardest to predict after all.' he sighed. 'So unexpected.'

Syaoran circled around Eriol carefully observing his guarded expression. 'Unexpected?'

'Oh? Are you not even aware of it?' He chided. This was turning out to be truly entertaining, definitely worth the loss of sleep. 'I thought that someone of your prowess would easily sense it.'

The growl finally escaped Syaoran's throat as a low rumble. 'Why did you even come talk to me? If all you're going to do is dance around my questions and talk in riddles, then-'

'You're no fun.' Eriol taunted. 'Very well, I'll get to the point.'

'About time!'

'I have a proposition for you, Syaoran Li.'

He swished his tail absently. 'What kind of proposition?'

'It's really very simple. You agree to travel with me and do whatever I say for a while.'

'Like that'd ever happen!' He laughed.

Eriol's eyes narrowed dangerously. 'Now, now, Syaoran. You didn't listen to the rest of the proposition. I assure you it's quite compelling.' He cleared his throat. 'In return, I will give you hints on how to break your curse.'

'You know how to-'

'I have a pretty good idea.'

'So, let me get this straight.' Syaoran grimaced. 'You want me to be your little doggie for some unspecified period of time and do whatever you say so that you'll give me hints to lifting my curse that may or may not work?'

'Something like that.'

'Not a chance.'

'I'm sorry to hear that, Syaoran.' Eriol turned to leave. 'I suppose we'll get along fine without a guard dog. Of course, I'll have to stay very close to Sakura to keep her safe. And she has been rather tired lately from all of her training. Why, earlier this evening, she practically collapsed in my lap. Oh well. I really should be getting back. It gets rather cold on nights like these, Sakura might need warming up.'

Immediately, the wolf's ears flattened.

Eriol waited, picturing Syaoran's expression. He mentally prepared to tick items off of Syaoran's reaction checklist.

'Why, you dirty little-'

Item one: anger. Check.

The string of expletives rang out mentally for quite a while, but eventually subsided. Syaoran paced. Cussing at Eriol wasn't going to resolve the problem. In fact, it would be just like that little dirtbag to try and rile him up. Still, why did he let what Eriol said bother him so much?

Item two: rationalization. Check.

Syaoran weighed his options. If he didn't go, who knew what Eriol would do to Sakura? But, if he went along with all this, then he'd have to do whatever the creepy magician said. He suspected that Eriol wasn't lying and really did know a way to break the curse. However, there was no way he could trust the bastard, let alone do whatever he said. What could possibly be worth that? Her face appeared in his thoughts. Damn. Why her? And though he tried to fight it, her smiling visage didn't fade from his mind. He sighed.

Item three: gruff resignation. Check. 'So, we have a deal?' Eriol said plainly, knowing the answer.

Syaoran raised his head. 'Let's get one thing straight. I am not going to make a fool out of myself just because you tell me to.'

'Oh, I wouldn't dream of it.'

'And I wouldn't try reading my thoughts all the time either. Or Sakura's either!' He added quickly.

'What kind of person do you think I am?'

'A riddle-talking idiot.'

'Brutally honest with just about everything aren't you?'

'Hey, you asked.'

'With everything except what is most important.'

'What do you mean?'

'Oh nothing.' Eriol smirked. 'But since we are under agreement, I'll need you to refer to me as "Master Eriol" from now on.'

'No way in hell.'

Eriol closed the telepathic link and ignored Syaoran's grunts. 'Tormenting him is just too easy.' He turned to the nearly full moon and gazed at it quietly. He did not have much time left.

vvvvvvvvvv

Sakura stirred in her sleep. Something prickled her senses and made her feel strange. She tried to ignore it, but the prickling only grew stronger. It wasn't a bad feeling, just strange. After turning over twice more, she gave up on trying to get back to sleep and sat up. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked around the campsite. Tomoyo lay sleeping in her own blanket a few feet away. Eriol's sleeping gear was nearby, but Eriol wasn't in it. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom? Now awake and a little scared, she slowly scanned the rest of the campsite in the dim pre-dawn light. Seeing nothing, she closed her eyes and searched with her magical senses. Instantly, she sensed two auras. One belonged to Eriol. The other belonged to- She double checked, just to make sure. Yes, it had to be him. She'd know that green anywhere, and he felt close. Sakura jumped to her feet and ran towards them.

Syaoran completely ignored Eriol as they walked. For a while now, he had been following Sakura's aura. The pink tendrils looked like ribbons waving gently in the wind. They had to be close, because now beyond the ribbons, he could see a pool of sorts. Then the pool shifted, swelling in size. The sudden change made him pause and observe. The aura flared for a moment, then seemed to glow and start moving. He was so caught up in watching the bright pink ball headed towards them that he didn't notice Eriol step aside and mutter something under his breath.

"Syaoran!" the pink ball called.

Syaoran's eyes shot open just in time to see Sakura barreling towards him. She raced forward and then cried out as her foot caught on a tree root. Everything went into slow motion for him as he raced forward to catch the falling girl. He dived forward and was rewarded with a heavy weight on his back. He took a deep breath before carefully turning his head. 'Are you okay?'

The girl stared at him for a second before smiling brightly. "I'm fine, Syaoran. Thank you." She hurriedly got back on her feet and dusted herself off. "I'm such a klutz!"

'You should be more careful.' Syaoran said. 'What were you doing running around at this hour with bare feet?'

"Sorry." she said sheepishly. "I woke up and sensed you nearby. I really missed you and wanted to see you."

Syaoran would have blushed bright red if it were possible. 'Yeah? W-well, try to be more careful next time, okay?'

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Not to break up this happy little reunion, but we should keep our voices down and head back to camp." Eriol whispered. "Tomoyo and Kero are still sleeping."

"You're right." Sakura started back towards camp and flinched.

Syaoran noticed immediately. 'Are you sure you're okay?'

"I'm fine really, it's just that there's some pinecones on the ground or something. They're sharp."

Swallowing hard, he tossed his head back, 'Then you should get on. I'll carry you.'

"No! I'm heavy."

"Sakura, I think it's a great idea. The camp is just around the corner, so I'm sure you won't be a burden. Right, Syaoran?"

'No. I don't mind.'

She considered this for a moment. "If you're absolutely sure."

He nodded.

"Okay." Hesitantly, she straddled his back and held on to the fur just below his neck. Then, she tucked her legs up against his sides. "Are you sure I'm not too heavy?"

Too embarrassed to speak, he nodded again. Heart racing, Syaoran concentrated on the ground. What kind of game was Eriol playing? What would telling him to carry Sakura accomplish? Wasn't he interested in her? What happened to the whole 'partner' thing? So many questions and no real answers.

"Oh! How cute!" Tomoyo squealed.

'Wasn't she supposed to be asleep?' Syaoran wondered.

'She was when I left, but somehow, Tomoyo never misses a thing.' Sakura's sweet voice rang in his mind.

"Good morning Tomoyo. You're up early." Eriol greeted her warmly.

"Good morning. I am and I'm glad that I didn't miss this excitement!" She chirped.

"Tomoyo!" Sakura chided, climbing off of Syaoran.

"I'll have to sketch this!" Tomoyo spun merrily. "I'll call it, Sakura's wolf knight!"

He looked nervously at Sakura, who to his surprise, was blushing furiously.

"Since everyone is awake, I'll make some breakfast!" Sakura announced. "Tomoyo, please lend me a hand."

"Sure thing." She giggled.

vvvvvvvvvv

After breakfast, the group packed their things and started towards the Moon Temple. They walked quietly for a while with Tomoyo and Sakura occasionally exchanging a few words. Silently, Eriol appeared at Syaoran's side. The wolf grunted, 'What do you want now?'

'To give you the first clue. Really, Syaoran, I thought you'd be more interested.'

'Clue? You mean to-' He looked around nervously. Sakura seemed to be thoroughly engaged in conversation with Tomoyo and Kero about something. Relief washed over him. So she couldn't be listening right?

'After all, you did what I asked last night and I am a man of my word.' Eriol continued slyly.

Syaoran's cheeks burned, though it didn't show. 'Y-yeah, so what's the clue?'

'Your curse is ruled by the moon. And there is a time limit.'

'Time limit?'

'Yes. If you do not find a cure within a given period of time, it will be permanent.'

Syaoran froze. Permanent? So, he was right. He'd feared that his transformation would be permanent, but to hear it confirmed hurt more.

"Syaoran?"

He looked up suddenly. Sakura stood next to him with a worried expression.

"Are you okay? You were kind of staring off into space. It's not like you. Me maybe-" She tried to smile.

'I'm fine. I was just thinking-' he watched Eriol out of the corner of his eye. 'about which way we should go.'

"Thank goodness." She smiled fully. "I was worried you were regretting rejoining us."

'Never.' The thought slipped out before he could stop it.

'Really?' Her bright voice echoed in his mind.

'Well, no- I mean yes- But then I- Traveling with you- If I don't then you'll probably get into trouble.'

'Yeah.'

Tomoyo coughed. "So, are you just going to stare at each other, or will there be some kind of translation of the conversation that's obviously going on?"

Sakura blushed. "Sorry! I just kind of switched over without thinking!"

"Don't worry about it." Eriol put a hand on her shoulder. "You've been doing very well with your telepathy. You switched over seamlessly when you felt a thought directed at you."

"Thank you."

"Sakura!" Kero folded his wings and transformed to full size. "Sakura, do you sense that?"

"Kero?" She jumped, surprised by his sudden transformation. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Pay attention! There's something bad in the air. Don't you sense it?"

Eriol's smile faded. 'We've been discovered.'

Next to them, Syaoran growled. Several dark auras closed in around them. They felt the same as the soldiers from before. Not as many this time, maybe only five. He sniffed the air. Yes, five of them, but closing in from all directions. How did he miss such an ambush?

Sakura concentrated. Kero was right, something felt out of place. But what?

"Sakura?" Tomoyo huddled closer to her friend. "What is it?"

"It's like a thick black cloud. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it." She shivered.

'Sakura, I need you to put up a barrier on my signal.' Eriol commanded.

'But I can't!'

'You can and you must. There are people here you want to protect, right?'

She nodded.

'Then, I'm sure you'll be all right. Ready?' He paused. 'Now!'

Sakura clenched her eyes shut and raised her hands out in front of her. "Earthy! Become an impenetrable shield! Protect my friends!"

A bubble exploded outward from Sakura, surrounding the group in soft pink light as a series of bullets erupted from the woods around them. Sakura held her breath and tried to focus on what she wanted to protect. She reminded herself of Eriol's lessons. The power of the shield relies on how strong your feelings are. So, if she really wanted to protect her friends, she could. Eriol, Tomoyo, Kero, and Syaoran. She could protect them all. She would protect them all! She suddenly felt warm, as though someone had wrapped her in the warmest, gentlest hug of her life. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of the shield. Five men, clearly identifiable as Sharan soldiers, raced out of the woods.

"Good job Sakura!" Kero called out. "Leave the rest to us!" With a great leap and beat of his wings, Kero bounded into the air. "I hope you like it hot!" He opened his mouth and let out a gout of flame.

The black auras hung off the men like clouds of smoke. Syaoran tried to ignore the terrible stench and focus on the task at hand. Last time, he wasn't able to protect Sakura. He would not let that happen again. But, if he left the shield, he'd be easily shot at this range. He turned to Sakura. Her eyes were now open wide. She seemed surprised by her shield. Her shield? Wait a second. That means- He thought back to the night at the Sun Temple. This barrier felt the same as that one. So, it wasn't Eriol!

Beside him, Eriol smirked. "Looks like Keroberos has that one. I'll take care of the two on this side. Syaoran, do you think you can handle the other two?"

'Is that an order, master?' He rolled his eyes.

'Of course.'

"No! He'll be shot!" Sakura cried. "I could-"

Syaoran shook his head. 'You need to maintain the shield. I'll be okay.' Was he really saying that? Hadn't he been shot twice since he met her? Bah! He'd survived twice, why not a third time? He leapt from the shield without looking back.

"Syaoran!"

Tomoyo grabbed her friend's hand and held it tight. "Believe in him, Sakura."

Behind her, Eriol grinned and took off into the air. He blocked a bullet with a small shield of his own. "My turn." He launched a wave of energy at the men, knocking them off of their feet. "Guns are such crude weapons." With a wave of his hand, a strong wind ripped the guns free from their owners. They landed harmlessly several yards away.

Syaoran watched Eriol out of the corner of his eye. The show-off. He could do better if he could only use his magic in this form! Damn. He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding a bullet. He needed to pay attention to his own fight. He eyed the soldiers carefully. Now! He dodged another round of bullets and charged the nearer man. They tumbled to the ground with a thud. Syaoran's claws clattered against armor, but he quickly spotted an opening near the soldier's throat.

"No, Syaoran don't! Don't kill him!" Sakura cried.

He pulled back, shocked. He had been ready to rip the man's throat out. He turned to Sakura with a whine. She looked horrified. A heavy boot landed a kick to his side, thoroughly interrupting his thoughts. Syaoran rolled to the ground, out of breath. Of course, he had to kick the side that was still injured. Go figure. Coughing, he managed to get back on his feet. Both soldiers advanced on him, guns ready to fire at any moment. 'Damn. This is bad.'

Sakura squeezed Tomoyo's hand. 'This is my fault. I have to do something.'

To her surprise, Tomoyo smiled. 'Be careful.'

'I will.'

Eriol dodged a swipe of his opponent's sword before jumping back out of reach. Casually, he glanced over his shoulder at Sakura. What will you do now?

She didn't have time to think. So, she dropped Tomoyo's hand and raced through the shield towards Syaoran. 'Windy, please help me!' Sakura felt her feet leave the ground. Just a bit further-

In a flash, she stood in front of Syaoran, arms spread wide. "I won't let you hurt him! Windy!" Winds swirled around the pair, disrupting the soldier's aim. They shouted something in their native language. Syaoran blinked hard. 'Sakura?'

'Are you all right?'

'Y-yes, but-'

'Good. Because I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing.'

'What were you thinking?' He barked. How could she endanger herself like this? 'Dammit! This is just like last time!'

Last time. She looked around to the trees and felt like crying. No vines. Eriol's spell worked so well last time too, that would have been perfect. 'Maybe I can tie them up with something else?'

'Tie them up? Sakura?' Syaoran moved to her side carefully, watching the confused soldiers argue. Apparently they didn't know how to deal with magic.

'Eriol used vines last time to tie everyone up. I wanted to do the same thing, but there's no vines!'

Syaoran took a quick glance around the area. No vines. Eriol and Kero were still fighting and Tomoyo watched them from within the shield. 'You could hit them with fire or lightning.'

'No! I don't want to kill them. They're still people!'

'Sorry.' He folded his ears down. 'But they do want to kill you. If it meant stopping them, I would-'

'No Syaoran. You're not a murderer. I'll think of something else.'

The soldiers shot again, only to be deflected by Sakura's wind magic. Wind magic. 'That's it!' Syaoran's eyes lit up. 'Use wind! It can take whatever shape you like!'

'That's perfect!'

'No wait. If you do that, the wind that's protecting you from those guns will disappear.' He made up his mind in an instant. 'I'll distract them.'

'Syaoran, what- Wait!'

He raced through the protective winds, surprising the soldiers who failed to aim quick enough to avoid his charge. He knocked one man over and ran as fast as he could around the other. 'Sakura! What are you waiting for?'

'I'm trying!' She cried. Geez. It wasn't like she was trying to do a spell she'd only seen done once or anything. Never mind that she was totally changing the way it worked, or that she didn't really understand HOW it would work. 'I don't know how!'

Ahead of her, Syaoran wove through a soldier's legs, throwing him off balance. 'Just tell the wind what to do! I know you can do it.' He replied kindly, surprising her. 'I can't keep this up much longer though, so you might want to hurry!'

She still looked so unsure.

'Just breathe.'

Sakura relaxed and took a breath. Everything seemed to slow down as her heart calmed.

'Now, call the Wind Spirit.'

"Windy!"

'And give her your command.'

"Become a binding chain!" The Wind Spirit appeared, nodded to Sakura, and then flew to the soldiers. She weaved herself among them until her form was no longer apparent. The men struggled in vain as they crumpled to the ground.

"Nicely done, Sakura."

"Eriol!" She spun around to find him standing next to two unconscious soldiers. They must have been the ones he'd been fighting.

'Weren't there five?' Syaoran padded over to her side.

"I'm afraid Keroberos' fire scared the last one away."

"Pshh. What a wimp." The guardian landed nearby and yawned. "Probably wet his pants and the sight of me!" He laughed.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo called, running over. "You were amazing!"

"Thanks, but Syaoran helped me a lot." She turned to the wolf, grinning. "Right, Syaoran?"

'I didn't do anything really.'

"Oh, I'd say you did quite a lot. More than you realize." Eriol whispered cryptically. "So." He resumed normal volume. "Why don't we do something about these two." He indicated the two wind-bound soldiers.

"Hmm. We can't just let them go." Tomoyo reasoned.

Eriol stared at the confused men carefully. "Sakura, Syaoran, Kero? Can you three take the two unconscious soldiers over by those trees?" He pointed. "And make sure to take their weapons and hide them well."

"Oh, okay." Sakura walked over to one of the men and reached down to lift him. She was surprised when she lifted him easily. "Wow. These guys are really light. I wonder what kind of armor this is?" She asked absently.

"Hmm?" Kero nudged himself under the other man and wailed. "Well this one's not. He must be full of fat under this armor."

"So, why don't you take this one then? Syaoran and I can move that one." She offered.

"Ah, Mistress Sakura is so kind!" He cheered, dropping the man in a heap.

They switched places, but Sakura found this man light as a feather too. "I don't get it, he's really light too."

"Are you using magic to mess with me?" Kero whined.

"Oh, that's just the Fire Spirit amplifying Sakura's strength." Eriol stated nonchalantly. "It's just Firey trying to help out. The spirit is stronger now because Sakura's magic has improved so much."

'Oh, is that all?' Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Hoeeee…" Sakura dropped the man unceremoniously. "This is embarrassing!"

Eriol chuckled and turned back to the wind-bound soldiers. Making sure to shield his conversation from Sakura, he asked, 'Tell me, how far from Tomoeda City is Yue's army?'

'How do you know about Yue?'

'Don't tell him anything!'

'What does it matter! Yue will still kill this kid and destroy Tomoeda City. Shara will reign supreme!'

'A soldier never gives away-'

The cocky man rambled on anyway. 'In two days tops, you'll be toast!'

'Shut up!'

'I recommend that you return to Shara when you wake up. Otherwise, the consequences could be dire.' Eriol stated before placing a hand on their foreheads, effectively putting them to sleep.

"Oh, Sakura! When you're done over there, please help me move these two as well!"

vvvvvvvvvv

**Author's Notes:** I took forever to write this. I just kept on re-writing and re-writing and re-re-writing a few of these scenes because I wasn't happy with the first draft. I hope that this chapter shed some light on the past and maybe even gives you a few clues about what's coming next. In the next chapter, the gang travels to the Moon Temple, but what will they find when they arrive? With only two days until the final battle with Yue, Sakura and her friends have a lot of work to do! Thank you for sticking with my story. Please continue to read and review. P.S. I've gone back and re-read a few things, finding spelling/grammar errors here and there. I will address those once I finish the story, going back and cleaning things up. In the mean time, please bear with me.


	9. Chapter 08: The Present

**~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

**Summary:** AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

**Chapter 8: The Present**

The group walked in an uneasy silence. While the soldiers they defeated lay safely bound and unconscious back at the clearing, the events of the day weighed heavily on their minds. An hour passed and Sakura couldn't take the tense atmosphere anymore, "Um, I wanted to say thank you, Syaoran, for helping me earlier."

Syaoran's ears perked up, then flattened. 'It was nothing.'

"It was nothing." She imitated in a low voice, giggling. "That's what you always say and that's not true."

'It is. Those two-' he inclined his head towards Kero floating next to her and then to Eriol walking in front. 'took out three of those men and you dealt with the other two. It was your magic that did everything.'

She slowed her pace and drew her lips into a thin line. 'Are you upset because you can't use your magic?'

'What? That's not it. It's just that- Well, I don't like being weak.'

'You're not weak, Syaoran. And even though you can't use your magic right now, you helped me use mine. If you didn't tell me what to do before then-'

He heaved a sigh. 'I am weak. I put your in danger. That's why I left before. That guy is much stronger than me anyway. You don't need me.'

Sakura stopped suddenly. That guy? She turned to face Syaoran, green eyes burning through him. 'It's not a contest, Syaoran. You, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Kero are all my friends. Strong, weak, magical powers or not; I need all of you. I don't even want to think about what this journey would have been like alone.'

Tomoyo and Eriol stopped to observe the unspoken conversation quietly, amused smiles on their faces.

'We're friends?'

'Of course we are, silly!' She smiled brilliantly.

He couldn't help but feel warmed by her smile.

Tomoyo placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and she jumped. "So, have you two made up?"

"Geez Tomoyo! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry." Tomoyo replied kindly. "You were a bit engrossed in your telepathic conversation there. I didn't know how else to get your attention."

"Hoe!" She blushed slightly. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay, Sakura. You hadn't seen Syaoran in a while and needed to talk, right?"

She nodded.

Eriol approached the group with a serious face. "I'm afraid that we don't have time for pleasant conversation right now. We must hurry to the Moon Temple."

"Eriol, what's wrong?" Sakura asked.

The boy heaved a sigh. "I suppose there is no keeping it from you. Yue will reach Tomoeda tomorrow. We must get to him before then."

"Yue?" Sakura repeated. "You mentioned him the other night, but who is he?"

"I will explain on the way." He replied. "Right now, we need to move faster. We'll have to fly the rest of the way if we want to reach the Moon Temple by sundown."

"Fly?"

"Yes. Kero should be able to carry Tomoyo and Syaoran. Sakura and I can fly on our own. Right, Sakura?"

She flinched. "Uh, yeah, I think so."

Kero growled. "Hey, I don't mind carrying the girl, but wolf-boy over there is heavy! There's no way I'm carrying him too!"

"Oh?" Eriol mused. "Then I suppose Sakura will have to carry him."

Syaoran stepped back suddenly. 'No- now wait a minute, I can't let her do that!'

"It makes the most sense doesn't it?" Eriol continued with a smile. "Right Tomoyo?"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Of course. With Sakura's magically boosted strength, she could carry him easily."

"Tomoyo-" Sakura blushed.

The guardian beast stomped in front of Sakura. "There is no way that my mistress is going to carry that mangy wolf! Not if I have anything to say about it!"

"Oh, then you won't mind carrying him?"

"Of course not!"

"Then it's settled." Eriol gestured towards the sky. "Let's get a move on. There is much to explain and little time to do so."

vvvvvvvvvv

Kero grumbled quietly to himself as he flew just above the clouds. Really, how did he let himself get talked into this? On his back, Tomoyo and Syaoran exchanged glances. She smiled. "You should really relax Syaoran, it's not that bad."

'Easy for you to say, you're not laying awkwardly across the back of an oversized stuffed animal! This would be so much easier if I were human again.' He thought with a sneer.

She continued smiling, ignorant of his comments.

'Oh right, she can't even hear me.' He sighed.

'But Sakura and I can.' Eriol dipped in next to them. 'You are thinking that rather loudly after all.' He chuckled.

Sure enough, Sakura appeared at their side and giggled. 'I'm sorry that it's so awkward, Syaoran. I wish you could be human again too.'

"Now," Eriol began aloud, "I need to explain a thing or two about Yue."

"Who is Yue?" Sakura asked.

"Well, you see, Yue is a magical entity created by the famous sorcerer, Clow Reed." At this the group gasped. "Clow required balance in his magic, so when he created Keroberos, guardian of the sun, he also created his counterpart. Yue is the guardian of the moon."

"So if he's a guardian like Kero, that means he's Sakura's protector too?" Tomoyo reasoned.

"Almost." he continued. "Yue was intended to be a second guardian, but he changed. When his heart filled with darkness, Clow had to destroy him." Eriol explained.

"That's terrible!" Sakura cried. "How could he do that to his own creation?"

Eriol closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Clow must have believed he had no alternative."

"But didn't you say that Yue was almost to Tomoeda? How can he be destroyed and here now?" Tomoyo put a finger to her chin in thought. "It doesn't add up."

"You are perceptive as ever, Tomoyo." He returned. "Yue's body was destroyed, but he survived as a spirit. Much like the Clow Spirits that Sakura now possesses, he has no physical form. You see, while spirits can still use their magic on their own, over time that power diminishes. If they use it all up, they will disappear forever. That is why it is so important that Sakura obtain the Clow Spirits."

"I don't understand."

Eriol lifted Sakura's hand and pointed to the tattoo on her arm. "Before you came along, the Clow Spirits were only living on the magic that Clow left behind. Now they draw on your magic energy. They live as a part of you."

"Hey! I could have told her that!" Kero said with a huff.

Ignoring her guardian for the moment, Sakura closed her eyes, sensing for the spirits' presence. Warmth spread over her. Windy, Watery, Firey, Earthy, she felt each one surround her in a hug of sorts. "I can feel them. They feel so warm and alive."

Syaoran watched her in awe. The bright pink hue of her aura twinkled with magical energy and for a moment, he could see each of the spirits' smiling faces. Windy fixed her eyes on him briefly, a knowing smile on her face. Then they were gone, swallowed by the sea of pink. 'That's why you are Clow's heir.'

"Syaoran?" the object of his thoughts faced him curiously. "What do you mean?"

He backpedaled as quickly as he could. 'Uh- I mean, that is to say.' Resigning himself to embarrassment, he gave in to the truth. 'You don't just want to use the spirits, you really care about them. You treat everyone as a friend, even me. That's what gives you strength.'

She blushed. 'Syaoran.'

Eriol coughed, breaking the intimate moment. "Shall I continue?"

"Sorry." Sakura bowed in apology. "Please do."

"As I was saying, Yue is a spirit now, he has no physical form. However, unlike the other spirits, Yue is not content to merely coexist. He is very angry at Clow for what he did in the past and now he seeks revenge. He has possessed a new body in this era and now leads the Sharan army. He wants to destroy Clow and everything he cared about."

"So that means-"

Tomoyo frowned and filled in the obvious answer. "He wants to destroy Tomoeda and Sakura."

"I am afraid so."

Kero tilted his head back to interject. "How come I don't remember Yue? I mean, I remember that he existed, but my brain's all fuzzy about it. It wasn't until you mentioned him that I started to recall certain things about him."

"I assume that was Clow's doing." Eriol stated evenly.

Syaoran glared at Eriol. 'So Yue wants to kill Sakura because of something Clow did? What a jerk! How could he put her in so much danger?' He growled. 'And how do you know so much about all of this anyway?'

The blue-haired boy didn't flinch at the harsh words. Instead he replied, "I have spent a good part of my life discovering Clow's past. My title is unimportant, but I will tell you that I sit in a position of power within the royal court. As such, I have access to many resources about Clow that others do not." Smiling brightly, he added. "And as Sakura's destined partner in this quest, I needed to know everything about Clow's past to understand the present situation."

To his amusement, at the word 'partner,' Syaoran's demeanor changed. His ears flattened and he looked away.

"The royal court, really?" Tomoyo looked him over.

"As I mentioned, my position is really unimportant in all of this. What matters is that Yue is stopped."

"How am I supposed to stop him?" Sakura asked quietly. "He's got an army."

"You are much stronger than you think you are, Sakura." Eriol smiled. "I have confidence in you."

Tomoyo nodded. "He's right. Army or not, you are the toughest sorceress I've ever met and I know you can do it."

"Absolutely, kiddo!"

She turned to Syaoran sadly. 'How can I stop a whole army when I can't even break your curse?'

His heart fell. Even he had to admit that her power was enormous and it had only grown in strength since he met her, but an army? That may be asking too much. Still, she had overcome every challenge up to this point. He met her eyes; they were filled with worry. He wanted so much to ease that worry that the thought slipped out before he could think it through. 'Everything will definitely be all right.'

'What?'

'I- I mean it.' He forced back his nervousness for her sake. 'You may not have broken my curse yet, but I know that you will. And if anyone can defeat Yue, it's you. Don't worry, as long as it's you, I'm sure everything will be all right.'

She hesitated for a moment, then sent him the brightest, happiest smile he'd seen on her face yet. Suddenly, she wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Oi! Sakura!" Kero complained as he flapped his wings awkwardly around her. "That's dangerous!"

"Sorry Kero!" She let go quickly and backed away, then added telepathically. 'Thank you, Syaoran.'

At that moment, Syaoran swore that Kero must have suddenly dropped in altitude. Why else would his stomach lurch and his heart leap in his chest?

vvvvvvvvvv

As the sun slowly sank behind the distant hills, Eriol called the group to a halt. They descended to a grassy knoll littered with large stones. It seemed deserted. Tomoyo finally broke the collective silence. "I thought we were looking for a temple? There's nothing here."

Eriol turned to the group. "This is the Moon Temple. At least, what is left of it."

"What's left?" Sakura innocently asked. She took a moment to walk around the area. As she looked closer, she could see that the chunks of stone, though worn with age, were covered with intricate patterns. Odder still, most of the stones looked as though they were cut into with a knife; as though something just sliced the stone away.

"It doesn't look like much now, but perhaps I can show you." The blue-haired boy announced suddenly. In a flash, a magic circle appeared under his feet and a staff formed in his hands. At the tip rested the emblem of a sun and moon overlapping. "Return us to a time when the temple still stood!" The staff glowed a bright gold, blinding the group momentarily.

"Wow." Sakura gasped as her vision cleared. "It's beautiful!"

The group stared astonished at the brilliantly restored structure before them. Tall towers with stained glass windows framed a large central cathedral guarded by large wooden doors. Each door was decorated with a carving of a half moon inside a circle filled with interwoven braids.

"How did you do this?" Sakura gestured at the grand structure in front of them. "I mean, it wasn't there a second ago-"

Eriol adjusted his glasses with a small smile. "It is a form of time magic. It draws on the power of the sun and moon to allow the user to see a specific moment in time. It is however, quite taxing, so we should not let it go to waste." He gestured at the large wooden doors. "Shall we?"

'What good does showing us this do?' Syaoran thought angrily. 'You can't change the past.'

"But you can learn from it." Eriol replied calmly. "Follow me." He offered Sakura an arm, which she took, much to Syaoran's dismay.

As they approached, the heavy doors swung open revealing a sanctuary lined with stained glass windows and beautiful tapestries with silver embroidery. An ornate blue rug lead the way to a grand altar made of stone at the front of the room, it bore the same symbol as the doors. Rows of dark wooden pews lined each side of the aisle. Above the altar, a huge circular stained glass window showed the phases of the moon. The moonlight glowed through it, coloring the front of the sanctuary and creating a mysterious atmosphere.

"The Moon Temple was a shrine to the moon of course." Eriol began. "It was a place of respite for the weary traveller, and a place where Clow often sought solace from his troubles. He intended to use it as Yue's resting place after his own death until the new Master appeared." Around them, people appeared. A priest now stood at the altar, garbed in blue and white. A few more people wandered into the temple, ignoring the group and taking seats in the pews. "But Yue did not want to rest easily here."

The temple rumbled suddenly around them. Then, the large stained glass window over the altar shattered. Tomoyo gasped, grabbing hold of Sakura's arm. Syaoran stepped protectively in front of the girls, growling. Eriol and Kero simply watched, unflinching.

"You need not worry." Eriol announced calmly. "This is merely a reflection of past events. Nothing here will harm you."

Despite his assurance, the girls couldn't help but feel fear. Around them, people screamed and ran in terror. The priest urged them all out of the sanctuary, shooing them forward and helping the younger ones exit. Through the commotion, the group's attention was pulled to the now gaping hole in the wall. For in it, floated a lithe man with angelic wings. He wore flowing white robes lined with pale blue and his long white hair hung all the way to his ankles. He would have looked like an angel, had it not been for the piercing blue eyes that glowed with malice in the moonlight.

Sakura shivered, this man looked so familiar, so terrifying. "That's-"

"Yue." Eriol finished.

"Yue." She breathed. "That is the person who I will have to fight?"

Syaoran leaned back into her leg slightly. 'You won't have to fight him alone.'

She blinked away from the chilling image and smiled at him. 'Thank you.'

An almost imperceivable smile fell on Eriol's lips; it went unnoticed by everyone save Tomoyo, who chose not to comment. Instead, she prompted him for more information. "It looks like Yue is pretty angry. I imagine that something significant happened to him not long before this incident to incite him to act? Probably something that Clow Reed did?"

The girl really was too smart for her own good. "You are correct, of course, Tomoyo." He responded. "Earlier this same evening, Clow committed a horrible act that drove Yue to madness." As he spoke, Yue unleashed dark orbs all around the sanctuary. They flashed and cut away the stone as though it were nothing. Sakura watched helplessly as several people were caught in one of the orbs. They too vanished when it disappeared. "What happened to those people?"

"Yue possesses a special kind of magic. It is a negative energy that literally removes things from being." The dark-haired boy put a caring hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Once removed in this way, it is nearly impossible to return."

"Then they're-"

"Gone."

"Dead?" Sakura whispered.

"No, simply gone."

"Is there any way to bring them back?" Tomoyo asked.

He nodded. "Yes, though Clow was unable to do it."

'What?' Syaoran barked. 'Something not even Clow Reed could do?'

"There are limitations on even the greatest of sorcerers."

All around them, the temple disappeared bit by bit until only Yue remained, laughing to himself among the debris. "I will destroy everything you care about, Clow! Just as you have taken everything from me!" He yelled before flying away.

Sakura stared, horrified at the terrible darkness in his eyes. They were filled with anger and hatred, but something in them felt sad. He looked lost. "He looks so hurt."

'Hurt? That thing is a monster!'

She shook her head. "Something truly terrible happened to him to make him this way, I'm sure of it."

"What exactly did Clow take away from Yue?" Tomoyo asked.

"As he said, everything."

Confused, the group stared blankly.

"I will explain in due time, but for now, I believe we should build a fire and make camp. We have some special guests arriving soon."

"Special guests?" Sakura repeated.

"Yes. Guests I am sure you will be happy to see."

"Hoe?"

vvvvvvvvvv

"Not much farther now, I think." Touya announced.

His father smiled. "I'm not sure I'll ever understand that sixth sense of yours, Touya, but I am always grateful for it."

The Kinomoto men walked on as they had all day, in search of Sakura. The sun went down hours ago, but the full moon leant enough light to travel by and Touya insisted that they would find her tonight. Soon they came to a hill. As they crested it, they were rewarded by the sight of a small campfire among some large stones in the distance. Even though they couldn't see her, they instinctively knew that Sakura had to be there.

Of their own volition, Fujitaka's feet carried him forward at a run. It hadn't been that long since he'd last seen his daughter, but it felt like ages ago now. He flew ahead fast and Touya had to run at full speed to keep up. As they approached the campfire, they saw her. "Sakura!" Touya yelled.

"Brother?" Sakura turned at the sound. "Touya! Dad!" She jumped up from her seat and raced to meet them, embracing her father in a giant hug.

"Sakura." He breathed. "Oh, how I missed you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Dad." She smiled. "And I missed you too."

"And what am I, chopped liver?"

"Touya!" She released her father and grabbed hold of her brother, squeezing him tightly.

"Oi!" He pried his arms free of her iron grip. "Not so tight, monster."

She let go and stomped his foot suddenly. "I'm not a monster!"

"Ow! You sure stomp like one, geez!"

Her smile returned. "I missed you too, Touya."

"Yeah, yeah." He paused suddenly, noticing the wolf and lion laying quietly near his sister. He could sense something odd about both of them.

She followed his eyes, seeing the suspicion rising in them. "Oh! Where are my manners. I should introduce you properly." She gestured to her father and brother. "Everyone, this is my dad and my brother, Touya." Then, she pointed around the circle. "You already know Tomoyo, the guy next to her is Eriol Hiragizawa, that one," she indicated the golden guardian, "is Keroberos, but I just call him Kero." Finally, she turned to Syaoran. "And he's Syaoran. He's kind of cursed right now, but he's really a person." As an after-thought, she added. "Oh, but don't worry about either of them, they're not dangerous or anything! They're my friends!"

Instantly, Touya disliked the wolf. He smirked. "Must've done something pretty bad to end up cursed."

'Hey! I didn't do anything wrong!' Syaoran growled.

'Syaoran.' She warned.

His ears flew back and he laid down, turning his head away from Touya.

She turned her gaze on Touya. "You shouldn't tease Syaoran like that, he helped me a lot."

Eriol stepped forward, hand extended. "Fujitaka, it is good to see you again."

"Eriol?" The older man looked baffled, but shook his hand anyway. "You have been traveling with Sakura? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hey, I want a piece of this interrogation too." Touya huffed, folding his arms. "Just where have you been squirt? And what on earth are you doing out here? This is a long ways from Tomoyo's place. And that letter you sent-"

Tomoyo jumped in. "That letter was my doing, so please do not blame Sakura. We simply did not want you to worry."

He sighed. "Fine. But you're still going to tell me where you've been!"

"Perhaps I can explain." Eriol said. "But first, Fujitaka, do you still have the book I gave you?"

Confused, he rifled through his bag, producing the book. "Yes, it's right here. But why?"

"Could you give it to Sakura please? I think that she needs to see it."

"I suppose." He handed the small volume to his daughter. "But it was a very strange book. There was nothing inside."

"Nothing?" Sakura asked, opening the book.

Suddenly, a glow erupted from the book and Sakura's eyes fell shut. "Sakura!" Touya reacted first, catching his sister as she fell forward, the book still clutched in her hands. "Oi! What'd you do to her?" He snapped at Eriol.

"I must apologize," he responded quietly, "But Sakura needs to see the truth for herself."

Fujitaka paled. "It wasn't a dream then."

"No, my friend, it was not."

"So, she will be the one to stop him?"

Eriol nodded.

"Enough cryptic talk." Touya lowered Sakura gently to the ground and leaned her against Kero. The guardian didn't say a thing; he just watched his mistress with great care. "I want answers now."

"Agreed." Eriol walked back towards the campfire and sat down. "Take a seat, this will take a while." He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. "Sakura holds great magical power, and she has been on a journey to hone that power so that she can prevent a catastrophe." He turned to Touya, "But you suspected as much right?"

He leaned back, furrowing his brow. "Yeah. I knew something was up when I sensed a presence hanging around Sakura earlier this summer."

"That would be Keroberos, no doubt."

"I have been watching over her ever since I woke up." Kero added proudly.

Tomoyo spoke next. "Eriol, there is something that has been bothering me for a while."

"Yes?"

"Why did Sakura have to fight each of the spirits. Weren't they hers from the start?"

"Fight?" Touya raised an eyebrow.

Eriol nodded. "Ah, an excellent question, and I was getting to that. You have surely heard the legend of Clow Reed, yes? Well, Sakura is Clow Reed's heir, and as such, the elemental spirits he possessed are now hers to command. However, Clow knew that Yue would return and seek vengeance. As such, his heir needed to be strong enough to defeat him. He sealed the spirits away and asked them to challenge their new mistress when they woke. With every battle, every unusual circumstance, Sakura grew stronger and learned to control her magic."

"So, every spirit that she fought helped her prepare for fighting Yue." Tomoyo summarized.

"Exactly."

"Who is Yue, and why does she need to fight him?" Touya asked angrily.

"Yue is another spirit. He used to be a guardian, but now his heart is filled with darkness and he seeks to destroy everything that Clow held dear, including your sister." Eriol replied.

"So, Sakura has to fight Clow's old guardian because he hated Clow and wants to kill her now?" Touya snapped.

"In a nutshell, yes."

"That still doesn't explain the book."

They glanced over to the girl in question, who slept quietly grasping the book tightly.

"It is a magic journal." Eriol answered. "One written by Clow. It has been passed down in my family for many generations, waiting for one who could read it."

"Was it in a strange language?" Tomoyo asked.

"No. Clow enchanted the book so that only a select few could actually read it." Eriol smiled. "As his reincarnation, I was able to read it."

'His reincarnation?' Syaoran's ears perked up.

"Reincarnation?" the group collectively gasped.

"Well, one half of it." He faced Fujitaka. "Mr. Kinomoto here is the other half."

'What?'

"What?"

"I'm half of a reincarnation?" The older man pointed at himself in disbelief.

The rest of the group stayed silent, reeling at the revelation.

Eriol continued calmly. "You probably lost your parents very early in life, yes?"

"How did you know? I never really knew them."

"Because it is the same for me. Furthermore, your children are blessed with magical ability despite the fact that no one else in your family line has it, correct?" He prodded.

"Touya's always had a sixth sense about things, but I never suspected magic. And Sakura never-"

"She has." Touya interjected. "Even though she didn't realize it. Every time I saw a ghost, Sakura could feel that it was there, she just didn't know why she felt uncomfortable. I kinda teased her about it more than helped her with it." He admitted gruffly.

Fujitaka took a deep breath. "But I never dealt with anything magic until I touched that book."

"It is not surprising since I received all of Clow's magic and memories." Eriol replied. "But, you still have much potential. You may have noticed that you feel drawn to Clow's past and objects tied to it. And you probably succeed easily at new tasks as well."

"Dad's always been good at everything, from sewing to sports." Touya revealed.

'What does any of this have to do with Sakura?' Syaoran barked mentally.

'Patience, I'm getting to that.'

Out loud, Eriol continued. "Back to the book then. Sakura is perfectly safe. Right now, she is viewing the contents of the book - Clow's memories. She needs to see them to understand Yue's past so that she may fight him in the present."

'Care to fill the rest of us in, genius?' The wolf grumbled.

"Yue's past is very complex. He was, as I mentioned, Clow's guardian. He trusted Clow implicitly and Clow betrayed that trust." Eriol paused, gauging the group's reaction. "You see, Keroberos and Yue are both magical beings. They do not age, they do not need to eat-"

"They don't? But Kero's been eating at every meal." Tomoyo looked at the guardian, puzzled.

"Uh, um, that is. I don't need to, but I- I really like food." Kero managed.

Eriol chuckled. "Forgive Keroberos, he has always been this way."

"So, get on with the story then. What did Clow do?" Touya asked.

"It is more what he didn't do; didn't plan for. He never considered that his guardians could fall in love. Yue did. He fell in love with a young woman from Tomoeda."

"Meiling." Fujitaka breathed.

"Yes, Meiling." He conceded. "And though their love bloomed, she couldn't cope with a love that would watch her grow old and gray without ever aging. She knew that she would eventually break Yue's heart. She asked Clow to erase her memory of Yue and in turn remove her from his memories."

Tomoyo frowned. "How awful, to want to forget someone you love."

"It is sad, but she felt that it was the only way to ensure Yue's happiness." He continued. "Though Clow was against it at first, he wanted what was best for both of them and could not refuse her request." The light from the fire danced in Eriol's now distant eyes. "He wiped her memory. Yue arrived shortly thereafter and seeing what Clow had done to his beloved, he attacked."

"I thought Clow died on the battlefield. That's what all of the old stories say, right?" Touya added.

"He did. Clow survived Yue's attack, but Yue escaped to Shara. There, he joined their army and led assaults on Tomoeda. He corrupted those around him with dark magic. With his added power and knowledge of the inner workings of Tomoeda's army, he gave them the edge they needed to turn the tide of battle. In the end, Clow had to fight Yue. He destroyed his own creation, though it took his life in the process." Eriol finished softly.

"How awful." Tomoyo gasped.

Touya just glared angrily. "So, if this Yue guy is dead, why are we talking about him like he's still around today?"

"Because he is. Clow couldn't destroy him completely. But he did foresee that one with the power to defeat Yue would appear many years later." Eriol looked to Sakura. The girl twitched slightly in her sleep. "Clow destroyed Yue's physical body and sealed his spirit away until the time that his successor would appear."

"Sakura."

"Yes."

Fujitaka sighed. "So she is going to fight him then?"

"She is." Eriol replied calmly.

"Like hell she is!" Touya fumed.

"Touya." His father placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not sure that I completely understand, but I have seen Clow's past too. I believe that this is something that Sakura has to do because she is the only one who can. Right?" He faced Eriol.

The blue haired boy nodded.

"I don't give a damn about Clow Reed. This is my little sister we're talking about! She's just a kid."

Syaoran sat up. Finally, the brother said something worthwhile.

Fujitaka grew somber. "But what about what Clow said at the end of the journal? He said that it would take two people-"

"In order to prevent Sakura from perishing as Clow did, yes." Eriol finished for him.

All eyes turned to Sakura. Tomoyo sniffled. "No, she can't."

Eriol stood up. "But there will be two. I will be fighting alongside her to make certain that history does not repeat itself. I have the utmost confidence in Sakura." He slipped a glance at Syaoran. The wolf said nothing, but his entire body tensed. "As her destined partner, Sakura and I will defeat Yue."

Syaoran bowed his head. While the rest of the group smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, he stood and quietly padded away from the fire. He wandered a bit before settling in next to a particularly large stone column. Alone with his thoughts, he felt worse than before. The idea of Eriol as Sakura's 'destined partner' really irked him. No, irked wasn't strong enough a word. It pissed him off. 'Eriol is Clow's reincarnation. It makes sense that he would be able to help her defeat Yue. So what am I still doing here?'

'That's a silly question.' Eriol's calm voice echoed in his mind.

'You.' He spat.

'Me.' The older boy joked. 'Now, now, Syaoran. Is that any way to talk to your master?' Honestly, he was just too easy to tease.

Right. The stupid deal. 'Some master.' He huffed. 'You haven't helped me at all and your requests don't make sense.'

'I think they make perfect sense. And I have given you a clue, have I not?'

Syaoran growled, raising his hackles. 'All you've done is told me what I already know!'

'Oh? And what would that be?'

'That my curse is permanent! Or at least it will be soon!'

'I think I have given you more clues than that, but if that's all you've picked up on, that could be a problem.'

'See!' He paced. 'All you do is talk in riddles. You don't make sense!'

'Very well, I shall be completely serious then.' Eriol's eyes narrowed and his voice dropped in pitch slightly. 'Your curse has a very specific remedy. You must find that which you currently lack.'

It sounded so familiar somehow. His eyes widened. 'I've heard that phrase before, but I don't know why.'

'You may have forgotten, but the Wind Spirit said it to you herself.'

'She did?'

'Yes.' He responded. 'And, I believe I may now know what the 'thing you lack' is.'

'You do?' Suddenly more interested, Syaoran couldn't stop his tail from wagging a little. 'What is it? Tell me so I can get it and go back to being human!'

'It is not a thing you can simply pick up, Syaoran Li. It is something that you must discover within yourself.'

'Damn it!' He cursed. 'How am I supposed to protect her like this? How do I keep her safe when I'm trapped in this body and can't use magic?' Syaoran rambled on doubts that had been stirring in his own mind spilled out.

Eriol had to fight to keep a smile from spreading over his features. Syaoran truly had changed. He was on the verge of breaking the spell too, if he would just realize his own feelings. The sorcerer marveled at the pure emotion evident in Syaoran's words. Now to wait and see if his theory proved correct. He hoped so, for both of their sakes. 'Syaoran.' He reached down and touched the fuming wolf's shoulder slowly.

'What-' He nearly snapped, but the look in Eriol's blazing blue eyes held him fast. Syaoran let himself calm down. He felt embarrassed for not only rambling on about his uselessness, but for doing it in front of the worst possible person.

Adjusting his glasses, Eriol's voice echoed in his mind again. 'I believe that you have already found that which you lack. You just have to realize it's there.' Smiling like a cheshire cat, he turned away. 'Oh, and one more thing. Hold on to that passion and fiery temper of yours. It suits you.'

Completely befuddled, Syaoran cocked his head to the side. He'd always been told that his temper was a bad thing, and passion? It wasn't even part of the equation to be a good warrior. So what did the glasses-wearing idiot mean?

vvvvvvvvvv

Yue marched his army toward Tomoeda with a knowing smile. Soon, he would have revenge on Clow. The best part was that he would destroy Tomoeda using the very thing that Clow used to take everything from him all those years ago. By tomorrow afternoon, the city would be nothing more than a pile of rubble. All of its people would be doomed to suffer as he had suffered. Then, he would move on to every place Clow had ever lived or loved. Yes, it was a perfect plan.

Atop his gleaming stallion, Yue could see his army moving like a black blob on the landscape. Their dark auras, fueled by revenge made them perfect puppets. It had been so easy to draw them to him, twist them to his purpose, and drive them into an all out war.

He paused at the crest of the hill. A familiar aura trickled across his senses. "Impossible." He whispered, closing his eyes to sense for the aura again. His eyes shot open. "No! It cannot be! He can't still be alive; I killed him myself!" But auras don't lie, he reminded himself. Clow lived; and he was close. Yue squinted into the setting sunlight. "Lieutenant!"

A tall man in armor hurried to his side. "General!" He saluted.

"Tell the men to make camp here. I am going to scout ahead. We will advance on Tomoeda at dawn."

The soldier nervously nodded. "As you command, General."

"Very good." He dismounted, handing the reins to his subordinate. Summoning his wings, Yue lifted off. So, Clow lived. Now he could destroy him all over again. Yue smirked to himself. Yes, he would enjoy crushing Clow a second time. Tomoeda would have to wait.

vvvvvvvvvv

Sakura's eyes filled with tears as Clow erased Meiling's memories of Yue and she slumped in his chair. She watched, dumbfounded as Yue attacked Clow in a rage, absorbed the other spirit, and flew off leaving nothing but destruction in his wake.

Finally, the heart-wrenching scene of Clow's final moments played out in front of her. Sakura couldn't help herself, she cried. "How awful. How could you do that to each other." She sniffled. The scene faded to black and Clow's image appeared beside her.

'Sakura, I fear I have made things quite difficult for you and I am sure that I will trouble you further in the near future.' He said in a soothing voice. 'Do not cry, please. I have shown you my past, my mistakes, because I believe in you.'

"Mr. Clow?" She sobbed. "It's so sad. What happened to Meiling and Yue? They were so happy."

Clow's spirit smiled. 'You know, after losing her memories, Meiling met and married into my mother's family.'

"She did?"

'Yes. I worried heavily about her request, but I saw in a dream that she would lead a happy life surrounded by people who loved her.' He looked into the distance for a moment. 'But in securing her happiness, I sacrificed Yue's.'

Sakura thought for a moment. "I'm glad that Meiling found happiness, but I think- I think that if Yue understood how much she loved him, maybe he would have been happy."

He smiled knowingly.

"And-" She continued. "I think that you deserve to be happy too."

Astonished, Clow blinked hard before regaining his composure. 'And that, Sakura, is why I know that you are the one who can save Yue.' His image faded. 'Believe in yourself and those around you. I'm sure you'll be all right.'

"Mr. Clow?"

"Sakura?" A familiar voice called out from the blackness around her.

'Tomoyo?'

"Sakura!"

'Touya?'

"I think she's waking up."

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked sleepily.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo enveloped her friend in a tight hug. "You're awake!" She noticed the trails of tears on her friend's face. "Have you been crying?"

"Huh? I don't remember falling asleep." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes an wiping her cheeks.

The bright moonlight illuminated the faces of her father and brother, Tomoyo, and Kero. They all looked down at her, smiling. "What happened?"

"Eriol gave you a magic book and you passed out." Tomoyo supplied.

"And I must apologize for not warning you, Sakura." Eriol approached the group. "As you have no doubt figured out, what you saw was Clow Reed's past."

She nodded.

"Are you all right?" Fujitaka gently took his daughter's hand and helped her stand.

"I'm all right, Dad."

"Sakura," Eriol stared deep into her eyes. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"To face Yue."

That's right, Eriol said he'd reach Tomoeda tomorrow. She frowned. "I don't know. It's all so scary. But Clow said I'd be all right."

"Hold on to that invincible spell." He said knowingly. "And I'm afraid we've run out of time."

Touya and Fujitaka looked at each other, then at Sakura. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Touya shook his head. "You mean she's going to fight this Yue character soon?"

"No, not soon. Now."

"Now?"

The breeze kicked up suddenly and something in the air made Sakura's senses tingle. She shivered as the new presence chilled her to her very soul. A dark shadow appeared in the moonlight overhead. Sakura looked up slowly, shielding her eyes from the moonlight. Kero growled. Eriol turned, his face stony and serious. A winged man in flowing white robes descended from high above them to perch on a tall stone several yards away. He turned his cold, blue eyes to Eriol, scowling. "So, we meet again, Clow?"

vvvvvvvvvv

**Author's Notes:** I must apologize yet again for taking so ridiculously long to update this story. I really do intend to finish it soon. The next chapter will be the last - a final confrontation with Yue, secrets revealed, and more! Please read and review. I actually do read the comments and some of those comments actually encouraged me to change direction slightly in the story, making it more interesting and less predictable, so I really appreciate them. I apologize for any spelling and grammar errors that crop up. I am working to fix those as I spot them, even in previous chapters. Thank you for your patience!


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